Carefully feeding your teacher

Pr. 16:23: “The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips.”

Last time we talked about how filling our hearts with righteous things would help ensure our chances of speaking righteousness over transgression.

Proverb 16:23 reminds us that our hearts actually teach our mouths and add learning to our lips. The things with which we are filling our hearts are teaching us. They may be teaching us good and righteous things, but they could also be teaching us harmful/sinful things.

There is a particular music group that I cannot listen to. I love their music! Their style is fun, the tunes are catchy, and their voices blend in a harmony that pleases me deep in my soul. I’m not the only one, either. They are very popular. The lyrics; however, are not exactly conducive to my Christian walk. They sing about things I shouldn’t be thinking about, but I get those catchy songs in my mind and can’t quit singing them throughout the day.

As I sing those lyrics, those thoughts begin to take root within me and I find myself become discontented with my current walk. I begin to think about the scenarios they create with their music and my flesh reacts to those thoughts. I also feel my flesh begin to justify the sinful thoughts. They’re popular songs, afterall. It’s just the norm, right?

Those singers aren’t awful people, and I’ve certainly heard worse lyrics before. I know my limits; however, so I in order to keep my heart from teaching my lips to sing those harmful/sinful things, I have to intentionally avoid this music. (Not always easy. I actually find myself sometimes craving those tunes.)

If we want to speak righteous things, and we understand our hearts teach our mouths, then it’s logical that we make intentional decisions in our lives. We must be careful to fill our hearts with righteous things and to avoid those things we know are filling our hearts with harmful/sinful thoughts.

Even if it’s hard and unpopular, we must guard our hearts. If we do, then we can be sure that the Lord can speak through us.

Carefully choosing,

jamie