Heart Attitude
There was a family sitting a little ways away from me in the doctor's waiting room yesterday. We had never met before, but I could immediately tell their heart attitude.
I would never presume to tell if someone is saved or not - that's between them and God. But there are some pretty clear ways to tell what's moving - or not moving - in someone's heart.
Someone in the doctor's office had made a mistake and the family was going to have to wait an extra hour before they could be seen. I don't know details and didn't want to know details.
But that family sure was willing to share them.
They weren't speaking to anyone outside of their little circle, but everyone in the room - possibly the entire floor - could hear them quite clearly. They spoke with anger toward the staff. They used words of discouragement to describe the day. They had resentment toward the entire situation because it wasn't going the way they had planned.
Without regard for the other people in the waiting room, this went on for several minutes. According to one comment I heard from the far corner of the room, it had been going on for quite some time before I had arrived.
And it was having a profound affect on the others waiting there. The room was full of sick, injured and hurting people. Instead of being surrounded by loving, caring people who would help them feel better despite their physical ailments, they were forced to endure unkind, sometimes foul language from someone else who was hurting.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. Luke 6:45
This was the fruit that I had to consider the situation with. Going by the words they spoke and nothing else, I could only assume that the abundance of their hearts were angry, discouraged and resentful, too. You can never say that your words and actions don't affect other people, because these people affected an entire room of strangers, with possible lasting repercussions.
I wasn't in the room very long, and there was no opportunity for me to say anything to them - in between their own conversations. I don't know what I would have said that would have given them any peace or hope, because there clearly wasn't any in their hearts. It makes me a little sad now that that opportunity is gone now.
I just pray that my own heart is filled with good treasure - joy and love and peace enough to never have that unkind affect on someone else. A few minutes in your presence should reflect the Lord that lives inside you. That's how powerful our God is.
Please pray for the man in the wheelchair, his wife and his daughter. They've gone on their way now, but their heart is the same. Pray that the Lord will touch them in a special way today, opening their eyes to their need for what only He can give them - a new heart attitude.
I would never presume to tell if someone is saved or not - that's between them and God. But there are some pretty clear ways to tell what's moving - or not moving - in someone's heart.
Someone in the doctor's office had made a mistake and the family was going to have to wait an extra hour before they could be seen. I don't know details and didn't want to know details.
But that family sure was willing to share them.
They weren't speaking to anyone outside of their little circle, but everyone in the room - possibly the entire floor - could hear them quite clearly. They spoke with anger toward the staff. They used words of discouragement to describe the day. They had resentment toward the entire situation because it wasn't going the way they had planned.
Without regard for the other people in the waiting room, this went on for several minutes. According to one comment I heard from the far corner of the room, it had been going on for quite some time before I had arrived.
And it was having a profound affect on the others waiting there. The room was full of sick, injured and hurting people. Instead of being surrounded by loving, caring people who would help them feel better despite their physical ailments, they were forced to endure unkind, sometimes foul language from someone else who was hurting.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. Luke 6:45
This was the fruit that I had to consider the situation with. Going by the words they spoke and nothing else, I could only assume that the abundance of their hearts were angry, discouraged and resentful, too. You can never say that your words and actions don't affect other people, because these people affected an entire room of strangers, with possible lasting repercussions.
I wasn't in the room very long, and there was no opportunity for me to say anything to them - in between their own conversations. I don't know what I would have said that would have given them any peace or hope, because there clearly wasn't any in their hearts. It makes me a little sad now that that opportunity is gone now.
I just pray that my own heart is filled with good treasure - joy and love and peace enough to never have that unkind affect on someone else. A few minutes in your presence should reflect the Lord that lives inside you. That's how powerful our God is.
Please pray for the man in the wheelchair, his wife and his daughter. They've gone on their way now, but their heart is the same. Pray that the Lord will touch them in a special way today, opening their eyes to their need for what only He can give them - a new heart attitude.
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