[Faith-talk] heart philled speech

[Andrew Edgcumbe]

Heart-Filled Speech

By Kerri-Ann Haye-Donawa
This week's topic: The Power Of The Tongue


 A person’s heart is inseparably connected to his life in every sense
of the word. Our hearts are like reservoirs that catch and store the
thoughts released from our minds and the desires processed in our
souls, making it ever significant to our speech and actions.


You see, the heart stands as both a receptacle and a tributary, both
receiving and issuing, both storing and releasing; and of all other
outlets, the tongue is its closest counterpart. Hence, whenever we
speak of the tongue, it is fitting and maybe even necessary to also
assess the condition of the heart.

Without doubt, the heart and the tongue are intricately connected, so
much so that we are told in Luke 6:45 that “out of the abundance
(overflow) of the heart [the] mouth speaks.” Much like a steering
wheel determines the direction of a car, so the heart dictates the
path we choose. And like the gas pedal determines acceleration, so
does the tongue determine readiness of manifestation. For this reason,
the author of Proverbs directly follows up the warning given in
Proverbs 4:23 to guard the heart, with a second caution statement this
time concerning the tongue; he says, “Put away from you false and
dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put far from you”
(Proverbs 4:24). He says this with the understanding that though the
heart is the ‘wellspring’ of life, the tongue has power over both life
and death (Prov. 18:21).

James 3:2 says, “Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could
control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control
ourselves in every other way.” However, of all the members of our
body, the tongue is the most difficult to control (James 3:7) and for
that reason we must first start by controlling and guarding our
hearts.

Practice applying filters to your heart and in so doing prevent
malice, hatred and sinful thoughts from drizzling in. A person who
understands the wiles of the enemy will also understand that it is
necessary to do frequent inventory checks on his or her own heart.
Hence the psalmist declares, “Your word have I laid up in my heart,
that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11).

 Today, allow God’s Word to penetrate the deepest crevices of your
heart and bring light to the very darkest of places. Allow the Holy
Spirit to align the contents of your heart with the contents of His
Word and in so doing dispel doubt, fear, uncertainty and defeat. Then
when the heart is aligned with the truth of His Word, controlling the
reigns of the tongue will become easier, inevitably resulting in the
tongue professing that which is in the heart – Life.

What we store in our hearts will always leak into our speech.
Therefore store the Word of God as a treasure in the deepest places of
your heart so that when stirred, only life springs forth.

Scripture Of The Day: “Watch over you heart (guard) with all diligence
(above all else), for out of it flow the springs of life (for it
determines the course of your life).” - Proverbs 4:23 (AMP)