Here is an x-ray of my daughter's torso. You may notice a brightly shining orb in the middle. That is a penny...in my daughter's stomach. Yep. A few weeks back my daughter swallowed a penny. It was one of those things that happened so fast it couldn't be stopped. Even she was surprised. My daughter had this shocked look on her face as she pulled her hands away from her mouth. Of course my wife and I were concerned. We called the doctor and got x-rays and the whole nine yards, but thankfully our daughter was none the worse for the wear. And her body did its job. Less than a day (and roughly 14 prunes) later, the penny reappeared.
It reminds me of Jesus' words in Matthew 15:17-20.
Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
Whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body, but the things that come out of the mouth are what you really have to worry about because they reveal the nature of your heart. Consider Matthew 12:34-37.
You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.
Since our speech reveals the condition of our hearts it will be used to judge us one day. We will have to give account for every empty (lazy) word we have spoken. This is a sobering reminder to guard our lips. I admit I don't pay as much attention as I should to the words I say. It's a scary thought having to answer for every word. Commit with me to pray Psalm 141:3 over ourselves this week. "Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips." But even more than this let us pray Psalm 51:10. "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Only as this prayer is answered will our hearts naturally send forth good things again.
For further reading...
- Proverbs 4:23 & 27:19- Not only our words but our actions also reveal the condition of our hearts. Unsurprisingly then our actions will also be called into judgment on that final day.
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