Good Morning:
A man is carrying a glass full of something down the street and someone accidentally bumps into him. What spilled? The contents of the glass.The same man is carrying the same glass filled with the same contents when someone purposely pushes him. What spilled? The same contents. Whether the spill was accidental or purposeful makes no difference as far as what spilled out of the glass. The human heart is similar. A heart full of forgiveness, care and love spills those traits out. A heart full of anger, bitterness, and wrath spills those traits out.
Jesus knew this of course and summed it up beautifully in Luke 6:45 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. In life, your heart is going to be bumped and pushed both accidentally and purposefully. A trusted spouse or friend may bump your heart as they let you down accidentally. An uncaring child or friend may push your heart as they utter words they know will hurt, even if they’re not true. When these things happen, what spills out? The difference doesn’t depend on how the heart was jostled, but what was in it in the first place. This is one of the reasons King David pleaded to the Lord in Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” When jostled with the temptation of adultery, David’s heart spilled out impurities. David needed, as does everyone, a new heart from the Lord.
God graciously gives his children new hearts. He sends His Holy Spirit to give them “the fruit of the Spirit” which “is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23a). All of these traits, to one degree or another, are yours, given to you by the One who has them all in abundance. When we jostle the heart of God, whether accidentally or purposefully, the forgiveness, loving correction, and compassionate care of our God spills out. This love is what caused God the Father to send His only begotten Son into the World to save us from our sins. Jesus’ heart full of love led Him to the cross for our sake and also grafts us onto Him so that our hearts can be filled with love and forgiveness as well.
In Christ, Pastor Naumann
