Matthew 15:18 “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.’” (NIV)
Life is made of check-ups: Health check-up each year, car check-up every 3,000 miles, dental check-up every six months, bi-annual heating/air conditioning check-up, annual mammogram, and prostate digital… let’s not go there! But how often do you have a heart check-up to test the spiritual health of your heart? God gives you a simple test to check your heart – listen to what comes out of your mouth. The good thing about this check-up is that you do not have to drive or pay for it, but you do have to take notice of what you say with your mouth. The following heart check-up will help you identify character defects and areas of disobedience, so that you can give them to the Lord for His transformative work:
- Do not only listen, but also be sensitive to what comes out of your mouth; the junk in a corrupted heart will not always be obvious. (James 3:9 “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.”)
- Evaluate what you consume, your beliefs, the way you dress, and your language to see if it hurts or estranges those around you. (1 Corinthians 10:33 “I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved.”)
- Ask your Heavenly Father to reveal areas of your life that might drive others away from Christ. Pray for a character and love that attracts others to Christ. (1 Corinthians 9:22-23 “I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some. And I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”)
- In your quiet time each morning, ask the Lord to reveal anything from the previous day that came out of your mouth that does not glorify Christ. (Galatians 6:4 “Each one should test his own actions.”)
Pray for a heart and life that is sensitive to proclaiming and attracting others to Christ.
Philippians 2:14-15 “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.” (NIV)