(Mat 15:18 KJV) But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
What comes out of the heart is what defiles a man. That is where it all starts… in the heart.
You see, by the time it comes out of the mouth the damage was already done. It was the heart that passed it through. We shouldn’t just repent for the words we have spoken, but for our heart’s condition. That is the root of it.
Have you ever heard someone say, “we need to get right to the root of the problem”? The root is where something starts growing and grows deeper if it remains in place. No matter what changes you make, if those changes aren’t at the root, it will keep coming back.
This year I planted a garden and when I go out to weed it, the weeds look so little compared to the plants themselves. However, when I pull them up they are strong and they like to break off right at the ground. But, the root of them is beneath the ground and if I don’t rip it out, that same weed will come back.
Our heart is the root of a lot of our problems. It’s a hard thing to admit to some of the things that are in there. But once we see them, they’ve been exposed to us and there is no hiding it any longer.
The first thing we need to do is ask God to help us get it out of there. It won’t go away on its own. It takes work and, like anything else, it takes sacrifice. It takes giving some things up that mean a lot to us; letting go of things that make us feel comfortable and making adjustments.
It might not be comfortable or pleasant at first, but it’s a necessity if we want to grow as a believer.
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808
401-377-5400
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