James 1:26–If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

If you are raising children, teaching children, or even have babysat children, you know there are things you pick up on by what they say, that could lead to problems.  You stop waiting for the behavior to take place, and deal with their heart behind the words they are saying…

Yet if you only wait to deal with their behavior, they learn to act the right way, but in their heart be full of schemes and insincere motives.  Learning how to be master manipulators, rather than truthful people from the heart…

It is the highest form of parental love from God to change the heart of an individual.  That is why Jesus never wants us to disconnect our heart from our mouths.  That we can speak in a way, that it have no real inclination of our heart “being one” with Jesus.  So God the perfect Father, continually deals with us from the heart.  Knowing that if He can get a hold of our hearts, we won’t deceive ourselves that we are unified with the heart of God, when our mouth says otherwise …

Being created in the image of God, we desire the same thing as God does, sincerity.  Yet because sin has plagued our world, the desire “to hide behind fig leaves” can become the default reaction when we become spiritually lazy, and our mouths reveal how disconnected we are from God.  If not before anyone else, make an effort to be sincere before God.  Knowing that He is merciful, that people don’t see our profession of Christ to be worthless because of how we speak.

In His Love, Ld