What Comes Out?

Well now, pull up a rocking chair and settle in for a little spell, ’cause I’ve got somethin’ to chew on, kinda like Mama’s cornbread, only a little harder to swallow. It’s about standin’ firm in your convictions, even when your knees feel wobblier than a newborn calf.

Jesus once said, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 25:8). Now, isn’t that a zinger? Sounds like He’d met a few folks who could win blue ribbons in “Talkin’ Holy” but barely place in “Livin’ Holy.”

See, I’ve always been a rule-follower. Back in school, if there was a gold star to be earned, I was practically lassoing the teacher for it. So when I read about the Pharisees in Mark 7 fussin’ and fumin’ because Jesus’ disciples didn’t wash their hands just right, I thought, “Well butter my biscuit, I know those people.” They weren’t worried about hearts. They were worried about checklists.

But Jesus, bless Him, cuts straight through the nonsense. He tells ’em “it ain’t what goes into a person that messes ’em up. Instead, it’s what comes out “ (Mark 7:14-23). In other words, your mouth is like a window into your heart, and sometimes that window needs a good Windex scrubbin’.

Then Jesus turns around and shows us what a clean heart looks like. A desperate mama comes beggin’ for her daughter, and Jesus just speaks. Boom!  Healing is delivered faster than next‑day shipping (Mark 7:24-30). Then He tells a deaf man, “Be opened,” and suddenly the man’s ears pop open (Mark 7:31-37) like porch‑door springs in April.

What came out of Jesus’ mouth defined Him: Savior, Healer, Deliverer. What comes out of ours? Well… that’s the question, isn’t it.

So, today, friend, take a little heart inventory. Any bitterness hidin’ in the corners? Pride trackin’ mud across the floor? Envy settlin’ in like an uninvited houseguest? Sweep it out. Then, fill that space with Jesus: His words, His ways, His heart.

Because at the end of the day, we get to choose: Will our words defile us… or define us?

Lord, You know my heart better than I know Mama’s biscuit recipe. I surely don’t want to be messed up by what slips out of my mouth. I want to be shaped by You. Pull up any weeds in my heart, and help me guard my words like precious family heirlooms. Make me a little more like Jesus today than I was yesterday. In Jesus’ holy name, Amen.

So, there it is, friend. What comes out of us tells the truth about what’s inside us. Jesus’ words brought healing and hope. Ours can too when our hearts stay rooted in Him. Stand firm today, speak life, and let your words define you as someone who walks close with the Savior.

With joy,

Gwen