Overflow of the Heart

 What’s in the Heart Comes Out

“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” — Luke 6:45 (NIV)

During this Lenten season, Jesus reminds us that true righteousness is not a matter of appearances but of the heart. Lent is a time for honesty. A time to look inward. A time to allow the Spirit to gently, yet firmly, show us what is really stored in the depths of our hearts.

It is easy to give a good impression—to say the right things, do the expected deeds, and maintain a facade of faithfulness. But Jesus makes it clear: no matter how polished our image may be, our true selves will eventually be revealed through our words and our actions.

“The things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.” — Matthew 15:18 (NIV)

Jesus warns against hypocrisy, not out of condemnation but as an invitation to transformation. He calls us to a life where the outer matches the inner, where integrity is born from communion with Him.

Eugene Peterson reminds us, “The heart is the source of all action, the center of life. The operations of grace are first felt and formed there.” (Run with the Horses)

God isn’t interested in behavior modification alone—He longs for heart transformation. And He promises to renew us from the inside out.

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10 (NIV)

This is not a call to despair but to surrender. What is in our hearts matters deeply—but we are not left alone to fix them. Lent is the season to bring our hearts to God in humility, trusting His mercy to cleanse, restore, and fill us with Christ’s love.

Prayer:

Lord, search my heart this Lent. Reveal the places where I am pretending, performing, or hiding. Replace my false words with Your truth. Cleanse my actions from self-interest. Fill me with Your Spirit, that what flows from me—my words, my deeds—would reflect the love and holiness of Jesus. Amen.