Ok, so in Christians circles you hear this said a lot: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” In fact, I’m one to bring it up pretty often myself.
But let’s read it in context because there’s more to this than we might realize.
[Jesus said] “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:33-37).
Let me start by saying you have a choice. Notice Jesus said either make the tree good or make the tree bad. Apparently, you and I aren’t dealt a certain kind of tree. We get to decide what kind of tree we’ll be and what kind of fruit we’ll bear. His point was whatever you make the tree, that’s the kind of fruit you’ll have in your life.
So, it should go without saying, if you don’t like what’s going on in your life, maybe you should look at what you’re making of it.
Be Wise
Jesus went on to add that a good (or wise) man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth (or produces) good. This means if you and I will be wise and heed these instructions, then we will have something to work with. BUT… look at the phrase “out of the good treasure…”
God has given us the ability to choose what kind of tree and therefore, what kind of fruit we will have, then it’s not God’s treasure we are pulling from, is it? A better way of stating or understanding this is to say: “A good man out of the good [deposit] of his heart brings forth good.”
This puts it squarely on you and I, doesn’t it? In other words, whatever we take the time to deposit into our heart is what will come out. Definitions of deposit mean to place for safekeeping or in trust, to give as security, or to deliver and leave (for another). This is so helpful!
When we understand that what we take time to put in safekeeping (for days we aren’t feeling it) or deposit into our heart (for those times we need to respond in kind) will bring forth good in our lives, I believe we’ll be more intentional.
The bottom line is: you choose.
Are you tired of rotten fruit on the vine?
Are you wishing things were different in your life?
Are you ready for a change?
Then check what you’ve been depositing. Good deposits are made several ways: through prayer, through reading God’s Word, through the things we meditate and think on, and through the things we set before our eyes (television, computer, social media, etc.). This is why you get to choose. Or I could say, YOU GET WHAT YOU CHOOSE. So choose wisely.
“Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy–[deposit] these things” (Philippians 4:8, my emphasis).
