I Have A Heart Condition...And So Do You...

Do you ever daydream about what you "should have said" to the rude person in the grocery store who cut you off with their shopping cart when you clearly had the right-of-way?  Or the man who acted like you knew NOTHING about cars (nevermind that it might, could, most likely is true...) when you went to get the oil changed? 

How do you respond?  Do you verbally vomit all over them (click HERE for more on that) or can you walk away uneffected? 

Lately, this is something that I've been working on in my own life.  At first, I thought to myself, "I really need to be careful of the things I say."  And while that's all well and good, the more I thought, prayed, and honestly reflected within myself, I came to the realization that it's a LOT more than that.  It's not just "watching what I say."  It's being aware of my heart condition. 

Yes, I have a heart condition.  It's not an arrhythmia or coronary heart disease.  It's a heart that constantly needs to be cleaned.  (Psalm 51:10 says, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.")

Matthew 12:34 says, "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." 

If my heart's condition is full of negativity, judgement, gossip, slander, and the like, then guess what's going to come out of my mouth?  Negativity, Judgement, Gossip, Slander, and the like. 

So instead of "watching what I say", I'm doing my best to keep my heart clean.  How?  By prayer, reading my Bible, and surrounding myself with positive influences in my life.  And if I find myself saying things I know I shouldn't, it's a sure sign that my heart is in need of some cleaning.

How's your heart condition?