In Your Heart, Out of Your Mouth

“But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”

Matthew 15.18-19 (ESV)

What you say reflects what’s in your heart, and what’s in your heart points to what you meditate on. It can be good or it can be evil, but what you believe, think about, and desire in your heart will overflow out of your mouth. Luke 6.45 states, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

Your heart is the center of your being. You cannot allow your heart to meditate on evil thoughts and works. This condition of the heart will only produce words out of your mouth that will defile you. You must always be on guard to protect it because it will lead you astray if you leave it unchecked and out of alignment with the Word of God. Proverbs 4.23 states, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

As a born-again believer, you must be watchful of the condition of your heart and the overflow that comes out of your mouth because it matters to God. If you want what you speak and the meditations of your heart to please the Lord, you must align your heart with the Word of God by having a genuine love for it and thinking about it consistently (Psalm 19.14). Psalm 1.2-3 states, a person is blessed when “his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all he does, he prospers.”

To align your heart with the Word of God, you must be cautious about what you allow to influence you - what you see, what you hear, and what you think about affects your heart, which will steer the course of your life. When any thought contrary to the Word of God comes to your mind, be vigilant by actively taking it "captive to obey Christ” and think about what is “true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and praiseworthy” by reading the Word of God daily (2 Corinthians 10.5, Philippians 4.9).

The confession of your mouth will also impact the trajectory of your life. What you allow your heart to meditate on will lead your mouth in the direction of death or life, good or evil, blessing or cursing. Proverbs 18.20-21 states, “From the fruit of a man’s mouth his stomach is satisfied; he is satisfied by the yield of his lips. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” The choice is yours, but God advises us to "choose life, that you and your offspring may live" (Deuteronomy 30.19).

Joshua 1.8 states, "This Book of the Law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe and do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall deal wisely and have good success." The words of your mouth are determined by the condition of your heart, therefore, you must hide the Word of God in your heart for it to never depart from your mouth. When the Word of God is in your mouth, it will produce righteous fruit and make you prosper and succeed. You must determine in your heart to align what you believe and what you speak with the Word of God. Then, the good treasure of your heart will produce good out of your mouth.