For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
- from Luke 6:45

This has the potential to be a hard passage. Both of us have heard this passage used to beat people up. “If you said it, it must be in your heart!” we’ve heard hurt and angry people say. This passage can be hard but it also can be helpful.

What would happen if we were ruthless with ourselves and generous with others? When we find ourselves saying something that’s unexpectedly harsh, angry, cruel, obnoxious or arrogant, we can walk with the Lord into the inner storehouses of our hearts to see if there’s something amiss there. And when someone says something to us that surprises us with its intensity, we can slow down to check and see whether or not they literally mean what they say or whether there’s something else going on.

One helpful thing we’ve learned from communication theory is that texts often have subtexts. The literal words that people say often have deeper meanings. “You never listen” can actually mean “I don’t feel like you respect me.” If we respond only to the literal meaning (“I listened to you last Tuesday …”) we’ll miss the point. And missing the point almost always causes conflict to escalate.

If it’s out of the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks, our words give us special insight into what’s going on in our own hearts and in the hearts of the people around us. Will we do the hard work to pay attention and respond in love?

Pay attention to the words you say today. What do they reveal about your heart? How do they line up with what’s actually in your heart? Do the words that are coming out of your mouth match the heart you’re hoping to have? If not, how can you change that?