Our Words Reflect What's in our Hearts

My sweet wife recently updated herspace with something she's been learning lately. I was edified by her words, and they will bring a much-needed level of intelligence to the blog.

She writes,

It's interesting, about a year ago God began to show me that the words I spoke reflected what was in my heart. While He reminds me of that still every day, He has also been showing me how this truth applies to the kids in my classroom. Every day I struggle with how to teach 6 and 7 year olds how to interact with one another.

Things I say about 100 times a day:

"Was that a good decision or a bad one?"

"How else could you have asked for that?"

"When you say things like that, you hurt people's feelings."

"It's not okay to hit when you get angry."

"Keep your hands to yourself!"

"Only one person can speak at a time."

"What did he/she do to make you sad?"

"Did you do anything to start this?"

"Why would you throw food at each other!?"

Children are not exempt from Matthew 12:34. Their words and actions are only a reflection of what is in their hearts.

Tedd Tripp has provided many insights about this issue in his book, Shepherding a Child's Heart. He asserts that a "child's needs are far more profound than his aberrant behavior. Remember, his behavior does not just spring forth uncaused. His behavior- the things he says and does- reflects his heart. If you are to really help him, you must be concerned with the attitudes of heart that drive his behavior."

I encourage anyone who spends time with children, be it your own or someone else's, to read this book. It has been dramatically changing the way I view communication and discipline with children.

(Matthew 12:34) "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks."

Only when she's writing on here does the title of the blog seem a paradox.