Chaplains Corner: The heart of the matter Published April 16, 2009 By Chaplain (Capt.) Kenya Thomas Tinker Chapel TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla., -- Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. Do I dare ask, what is in your heart? Have you ever performed a self analysis to discover what resides in your heart? Have you listened to what you say, to see the contents of your heart. Certainly one thing holds true -- we cannot hide the content of our hearts, because it becomes evident when we speak. Allow me to put this in context for you. Matthew 12:33-37 states, "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit... For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." The contents of a person's heart can become tumultuous, damaging or distressing to their spirit. And this will ultimately affect one's entire well-being. Take the next several days or weeks and listen to the words you say and see what is stored up in the heart. First, we must take note of the contents of our heart by hearing what comes out of the mouth. Do our words reveal anger, bitterness, strife, envy, jealousy, backbiting, gossiping or hate? Second, we have to ask ourselves the question, "Why are these things present in my heart? What is this all about and where did this come from?" Third, we have to make a choice to do something about it. Be encouraged to know that we have the power in our hearts to make choices either for good or for bad. In a nutshell, Romans 16:4 reveals that the power of choice springs from the heart and this brings us to one thing that we must look at: our determination. We must be governed by a fixed determination and determine in our hearts to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of our Lord (see 2 Corinthians 10:5). Yes, this includes our angry or malicious thoughts, and even the thought of revealing personal, rumored or sensational facts about others. The choice to bring into captivity every thought cannot be an impulsive decision. Impulsive choices can be dangerous. They are a sign of instability or of something unreliable. Determination means "to fix the form of our choice." God requires that we use this power of determination when we pray. I encourage you to determine in your heart today to change the contents of your heart to things that are good and virtuous. Commit this in prayer to God. Above all else, guard your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Prov. 4:23). Remember you are not alone in your spiritual endeavors. Your chaplains are readily available to help you walk through this spiritual journey of purifying your heart.