During my bible studies, something that keeps being brought to my attention is how Jesus talks about the heart and from it comes good or evil.
Matthew 12: 33-37
"Either make the tree good and it's fruit will be good, or make the tree bad and it's fruit will be bad; for a tree is known by it's fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. A good person produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil person produces evil things from his storeroom of evil. I tell you that on the day of judgement people will have to account for every careless word they speak. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
Mark 7: 14-23
"Summoning the crowd again, he told them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand: Nothing that goes into a person from outside can defile him but the things that come out of a person are what defile him. When he went into the house away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about the parable. He said to them, "Are you also as lacking in understanding? Don't you realize that nothing going into a person from the outside can defile him? For it doesn't go into his heart but into the stomach and is eliminated" (thus he declared all foods clean). And he said, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of people's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, evil action, deceit, self-indulgence, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person."
I can have such sinful and evil thoughts in moments of pride, anger, jealousy, and hurt, but I feel so convicted when Jesus says that all of these things are produced and then overflowed from the heart. When I reflect on my actions and reactions, it's such an eye-opener on how ugly my heart can be. Knowing that there is sin in my heart, I am forever grateful that it is cleaned and renewed through the blood of Jesus Christ, e v e r y d a y. He forgives and gives me grace when I fall short. I also have His word as a constant reminder that I need Him and He is my only way to the Father.
My prayer is that the Lord would continue to work at my heart where it is the root of all things. I pray that God would make my heart beautiful by producing good fruits and becoming a reflection of God's characteristics. For every moment that He is making my heart more like His, I pray that He would give me strength to persevere through the difficult moments. For the moments that I don't understand, may He give me hope that nothing is done in vain.
The road to making my heart more like Jesus has been far from easy or painless, but I believe that the reward (furthering His Kingdom and spending an eternity with Him) will be so worth it.
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