Dirty Words

Luke 6:44-45 “Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

Sometimes my words and tone shock me. They are anchored to dark things unseen and deep within my heart. They bite and cut in a flash. Before I can blink, they wound those I love… usually those I love most. They reveal roots that do not belong in the new heart given to me by my Savior. These roots- -bitterness, selfishness, hatred- -do not belong in a temple for the Holy Spirit. Because they lurk in the deceitful soil of my heart and sin, their fruits blindside me as they burst forth. I mourn the damage they inflict, particularly the damage to others. Still I am grateful for their revelation to me. They slap me out of my deluded slumber of self sufficiency and self righteousness. They show me what I need to take to the feet of my Savior. I need Him today as much as I have ever needed Him. I need His forgiveness today. I need Him to take my sin- both the diseased roots and bad fruit. I need Him to weed out my rebellious roots so that they do not continue to yield rotten fruit. I need Him to sanctify me and redeem the relationships that have been poisoned by the rotten fruit of my lips. I need Him to reconcile me to Him and to others (most often to Kristian, my husband... I'm sorry Kristian).

I John 1:5:-10 “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 John 2:1-6 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”