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Your mouth reveals who you are. You are what you say. If the words that come from your mouth are hateful, angry, and unloving, then others
will know something about your heart. If we listen to our politicians, newscasters, teachers, plumbers, housewives, husbands, children, and other people carefully, we will know
something about their hearts. But God does not need to listen, He can see your heart. He knows who you really are.
The Holy Spirit wrote this about the hearts of the righteous and the wicked.
The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver, The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, Are you stunned by the statement, “The heart of the wicked is
worth little.” Did you notice that the mouth of the wicked is constantly
pouring out evil? Do you know someone who has a mouth problem - uh, a
heart problem?
None of us have perfect lips (James 3:2). We all err with our lips. Actually, we are all wicked in the truest sense, but the proverb is talking about someone who
has a serious problem. A follower of Jesus may occasionally err with his or her mouth, but there should not be a pattern of evil. If you constantly struggle with your mouth
and you claim to be a Christian, then you need to talk with God. You may not be a follower of God after all. If you are a follower, then you need to confess the sins of your
mouth (1 John 1:9) and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you each day and give you a mouth that is seasoned with grace (Col. 4:6).
Conclusion. “Is Jesus pleased with your conduct? Are you following traditions or man made rules, thinking that God is pleased?” Maybe
you are not following any rules and think that God is pleased. Consider the following story.
On his sixteenth birthday the son approached his father and said, “Dad, I’m sixteen now. When can I get my license, can I drive the family car?” His dad looked at him and said, “Son, driving the car takes maturity, and first, you must prove you are responsible enough. And one way you must do that is to bring up your grades. They are not acceptable. Second, you must read the Bible every day. And finally, 1 want you to get that hair cut; it looks outrageous.” The son began the task of fulfilling his father’s requirements, knowing that the last might be impossible. When his grades came out he came to his dad with a big smile. “Look, Dad, all A’s and B’s on my report card. Now can I drive the family car?” “Very good, son. You are one-third of the way there, but have you been reading the Bible?” the father replied. “Yes, Dad, every day,” said the son. “Very good, Son. You are two-thirds of the way there. Now when are you going to get that hair cut?” The son, thinking he could outsmart his dad, responded, “Well, I don’t see why I should get my hair cut to drive the car. Jesus had long hair, didn’t He?” The father looked at his boy and said, “That’s right, son, and Jesus walked everywhere he went.’ One thing was missing. The son lacked the desire to be conformed to God’s Word. We should not add to it or ignore it. How about you? Are you trapped in your traditions,
your own rules, or your own expectations as to how others should behave? If so, you will be just like the Pharisees who were easily offended by Jesus and unhappy. They were
wrong and Jesus was right. Or, maybe you are avoiding some things that God wants you to do. The Pharisees did that too! Are you avoiding going to church or witnessing? If so,
read Hebrew 10:24-25 and Matthew 28:19-20, and then consider, did God not know about the special situation you would be involved in in the future?
The greatest joy in life is pleasing God. Then He gives us His peace and joy. It comes when we are committed to doing His will. Jesus said,
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. John 15:10 (NAS95S) God wants our heart - a passion for Him and a passion to please Him in our conduct. There is no greater joy than pursuing His holiness!
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