Heart to Mouth Disease

Matthew 15: 11 It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” 

Matthew 15:17-20 Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

The longer I walk with Jesus the more I realize the sorry , sick state of my heart. I look back at my conversion experience and recall  understanding that I was a sinner in need of grace. However, I had no idea at that time of just how powerful and resistant our sin nature really is! No matter how diligent I try to clean up  and get healthy, I am left with a impure heart that will eventually manifest its sickness through my mouth!   I have to conclude that I suffer from a disease that plagues others too. It is called " heart to mouth disease".  

I have my morning devotions. I sing praises to the King. I go about my day thinking I'm doing pretty good. Then it happens. Words come out of my mouth that reveal the depravity of my heart! Oh they may not be words that are listed on the " curse word list"  They may actually seem harmless to the others nearby but I know that they are snarky and cutting. They are not coming from a heart like Jesus. They are coming from a place of anger or resentment. Maybe from disappointment or rejection. They are coming from an unhealthy heart. 

No amount of diet and exercise will eradicate this. No pill nor vaccine will cure this either. There is only one remedy and that is the cleansing by the blood of Christ. Because Jesus went to Calvary to pay for my sin and shame, He too will slowly but surely do an inside cleansing of the heart. But I must be willing to hand it over. To allow Him to bring storms and fiery furnaces to accomplish the purification process. If I am convinced that I have no heart issue I have failed to understand the reason for the cross. I am no better than the religious leaders of whom Jesus compared to white washed tombs full of dead men's bones. 

 The apostle John reminds us of our need to be honest with ourselves and with God concerning this heart problem: " If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and  the truth is not in us"( 1 John 1:4).  It is only when I fully surrender my pride and agree wholeheartedly ( no pun intended) that my heart disease proves itself active by what comes out of my mouth , that I will begin to receive the healing that only He can give. 

The entire human race has this awful illness, this heart to mouth disease. Aren't you thankful that we have the Great Physician Who not only accurately diagnoses but has the ability to heal it as well?