October 28, 2010

out of the abundance of the heart...

In talking with close friends lately, we've delved into the impulse tendency for Christians to share "what the Lord is teaching us" and "what we are learning right now." As if every.single.moment. of our days must be over-analyzed and wrung out for it's sure-fire spiritual implications in our lives. Meaning, we fight with the ridiculous idea that we aren't allowed to simply laugh and talk about our clumsiness or our recent trip to the grocery store, without including what the Lord taught us as we tripped over our shoes or shopped for Cheerios. And I am the first to admit I'm guilty of this, often.

I am so incredibly encouraged by the challenging, sharpening, genuine words of others. And today, my tank is full with the passion for Christ that is pouring out of my friend, as our conversation turned from workouts and coffee to Christ so quickly. It wasn't because we sat around grappling for spiritual nuggets, but because Christ was the center of our conversation and the passion of my friend's heart. We didn't need to conjure up Christianese about our favorite pair of jeans. Christ was glorified in the seemingly mundane as much as the magnificent. If Christ is my passion and focus, I don't need to find ways to weave him into conversation. He will be glorified and spoken of inevitably out of an overflow of my heart.

Don't get me wrong, I love finding analogies from simple moments that mirror what the Lord is growing me through. But I don't need to over-do everything. Jesus said it best, "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Lovely! Also, I know exactly who you're talking about as well as what you're talking about. :)

P.S. I'm following you.