It’s Just the Way I Am

Have you ever said something, and just a second later thought, “Why did I say that?” Maybe it was in an argument with a friend or your significant other. Maybe it was a joke at work that was more mean-spirited than funny. Maybe it was a brag that went over the top. For me, it’s angry words that seem to fly out of me before I can even think about it.

Jesus once assessed such words like this:

The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

Luke 6:45 NRSV

Jesus compares your heart to a treasure trove. Whatever’s in there, good or bad, is what’s falling out of your mouth when you talk. Your heart is a bank account, and your words are withdrawals you make and hand off to others throughout the day. You can only give away what’s already in there.

When someone lashes out in anger, sometimes they make the excuse, “It’s just the way I am.” Here, we see that Jesus agrees. Your words show you exactly who you are. They’re like an MRI, that goes beneath the surface, to the core, and gives you an image of what’s inside.

For me, that’s scary. It’s hard to look at my heart and be honest. Those words came out of there? But that’s what spiritual integrity takes: being honest about what’s what in our whole being.

What do your words at work tell you about your heart today?

What kind of heart do you long to have?