For today’s Marriage Monday post, I thought I would address the issue of communication and the heart. This past Friday at HomeWord, I preached a sermon from Matthew 12:33-37. In that text, Jesus is addressing the Pharisees who are opposing Him and saying His works are Satan’s. In responding to them, He demonstrates a vital principle about communication–it is birthed in the heart.
At one point in my sermon I said:
The problem is our hearts. Do you recognize your heart is the problem in conflict? Maybe you are into the Love Language crowd and think that if your love tank could be filled, this conflict wouldn’t ensue? The reality for us is that our problems are much deeper than an empty love tank. We are sinners. Our hearts are wicked. When there is conflict, there is a problem in our desires (according to James 4:1ff). We need the Gospel. We need Christ to come into our hearts and change them. Then we will respond with grace in situations. Then our speech will be affected. Only after our hearts are changed can we effectively communicate to the glory of God.
I would simply exhort you if you are having communication breakdowns to pay attention to your hearts:
1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart — center your heart on God.
2) Keep your heart with all diligence — Proverbs 4:23 encourages this. Your heart must be something you are consistently working on.
3) Pray that “the words of your mouth and the meditation of your heart” (Psalm 19:14) are pleasing to God. Throughout the Bible words are fused and related to the heart.
Encourage God-glorifying communication with deep pursuit of a heart that is fixed on Him.