Luke 6:45
“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”
Thoughts from Amanda Cook
Dive Deeper
Behind the Scenes
Have you ever had something fly out of your mouth and wish you could somehow reach out and just snatch it back? Have you ever wondered, “Where did that come from?” Especially when emotions are high or stress is mounting, we can speak without thinking, unaware of the damage we leave in our wake.
In Luke 6, Jesus is addressing some of these same issues. A few verses back Jesus uses the analogy of a tree to help the listener to understand the relationship between what we say and what is in our heart. He says in verses 43-44, “For there is no good tree that bears bad fruit, nor, on the other hand, a bad tree that bears good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they pick grapes from a briar bush.”
Basically, what Jesus is saying is that the version of us that comes out in our worst moments is the truest version of ourselves. We can look good and healthy on the surface, but when our insides are sick, the fruit that comes from that will be sick too.
And what’s more, this is how people will know you- by your fruit. People will know you are trustworthy by seeing you follow through on something and speak truthfully. People will know that you are kind by watching you care for others. People will know you are angry by seeing you lash out at someone. People will know you are selfish by watching you hoard resources or push for your own way. How you act and how you speak says more about you than you think!
Make it Real
In the same way that a sick tree cannot bear healthy fruit, when our hearts and minds are sick or hardened, we cannot produce true righteousness. It’s really easy in the church to try to look good on the outside without really addressing the brokenness on the inside. But sooner or later it always comes out. We can do all the “right things” for all the wrong reasons and pretty soon, the façade we’ve build will start to crack.
We can all too often fool ourselves into believing that we are “doing ok” when it comes to our faith. But when life gets hard, the stress mounts, and the fear turns up, that’s when the hardness in our hearts is most revealed. It’s easy to say the right things and do the right things when everything is going good and life is easy. It’s next to impossible to keep the façade up when the hard pressure is on.
And that is a blessing! See, we can’t fix what is broken inside if we don’t see it. In His mercy and grace, Jesus allows the pressures of life to draw out the “bad fruit” that is evidence of a sick heart under the surface. He allows the trials to test us and refine us. It’s in these times that we often get a glimpse of the uglier side of ourselves, the side we would rather pretend isn’t there. But it’s precisely this part of us that needs the healing power of Jesus Christ.
But we have a choice about what we do when that “bad fruit” is revealed. We can either turn a blind eye, pretend to be a “good person,” and make excuses. Or we can take a long hard look at what’s sick and broken under the surface. When we are willing to acknowledge our sin, bring it into the light, and confess it, Jesus is faithful to redeem us, restore us, and set us on a right path. He removes our heart of stone, revealed through the things we say and do, and replace it with a heart of flesh that will result in righteousness and freedom!
So next time you feel the trials, stressors, and struggles of this life bring out the worse in you, take a second to reflect. What does that “bad fruit” say about your heart condition? What habits, ideas, or lies are you holding on to that are causing your heart to be hard in that area? And how can you use that situation to bring it into the light of God’s truth for His perfect healing?
Crystal Garnett
ACF Digital Discipleship Team Leader
End in Prayer
Lord,
I recognize that under the surface, I have some hardness in my heart. I don’t want it to be there. Please use whatever you have to use to expose it, reveal it for what it truly is, and help me to surrender it to your perfect healing. Lord, I want to be that “good tree” that bears “good fruit”. Please lead me in that and help me to see Your guiding hand.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen!