It Starts in the Heart
February 14, 2020
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14 NLT
Everything has a starting place. Every action and outcome is rooted in something that precedes the immediate situation. A person doesn’t just wake up and devastate another person with infidelity or rejection. We don’t accidentally or thoughtlessly wander into betrayal, harshness, or any number of actions that wound and destroy. Everything we do, good or bad, every word we say, uplifting or devastating, every single one is rooted in the meditations and musings of our hearts.
All through the Bible we are reminded that the heart is the gestation place for everything. Sin starts there. Holiness starts there. Broken relationships start in the thought life. Thriving relationships start with what goes on in my mind.
David knew that. He knew from personal experience on both sides of it. He had devastated his family, broken many hearts, and damaged forever his reputation by letting his mind consider things that were destructive. On the other hand, he also chose many, many words and actions that honored God and people and brought health and wholeness to the people he impacted. He knew that every one of those outcomes were not random or unaidable. They were not out of his control. They were all birthed in his heart and what he allowed to grow there.
It is the same for you and me. The things that happened to me today will now determine my attitude and response. My attitude and response will be determined by the things I have been considering and am thinking about in the back of my mind right now. My chief concern must be to work with God so that the words of my mouth and the thoughts that prompt them are sources of great joy.
I can count on God’s help. His greatest desire is for me to have a new heart that makes all things new, including a transformed attitude that chooses to think like Him.
- You know what you need to think and pray about. Do it now.