Ever said something you regret?
Or maybe someone blurted out something that rocked you to your core… could they really think that about you?
Consider this…
The fact that it could come out of their mouth says that it was inside of them somewhere. Irrational, or rational. Alcohol induced confession, or inhibitions intact. Regardless of the intention, if it could come-out, then it was in there.
If you could say it, then it was in you…
“Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34)
Which leads me to the purpose of me writing this for you:
What’s In Your Heart?
When we trust someone’s heart, we can look past actions, circumstances and events and see intention. The heart behind something gives meaning to what happens.
A lot can be forgiven, overlooked or interpreted in a certain way, if we understand someone’s ‘heart’ behind something.
So, what is the heart behind the things that you do and say?
Is it something that you could be proud of?
Or, if it became known, would you feel exposed or ashamed…
The Consequences of Your Heart
There is great power and boldness that comes from an honest heart that is lit-up by a genuine cause. If your heart is right, you don’t need to be stressed with all the logistics and the way things pan-out. You can trust that things will end up happening the right way because your heart was right. And even if it goes pear-shaped… if at your core you were honest, no one can blame your naivety or blind faith that guided your intentions.
The flip-side and ugly counterpart to this, is a person I call ‘the manipulator‘… The one who calculates and schemes, who is led by ill-intent and a self-centred cause. This type of person we have a disdain for. Not just because of HOW they do things but for WHY they do them. There is little forgiveness for someone who chooses devious means to achieve an end with a self-centred heart.
It is not simply our words and actions that carry consequences with them, but our intentions too. Intent, heart, ‘your reason why’ can poison relationships, lead to feelings of judgement, condemnation and shame, both because of how others respond to us, but also in how our own conscious convicts us. A sour-heart leaves a bitter taste in everyones mouth, including your own.
If we consider that most of life, our experience, and inner-world is shaped by our heart towards things. Then we start to see that this is the central thing governing our internal reality. The joy we feel, the peace we enjoy, the contentedness we find rest in, all stems from the orientation and posture of our heart.
Look Around and Look Inside
Think about who you actually like being friends with. Furthermore, in a more general sense, who would you more likely trust; the manipulator, or the transparent and good-willing?
Then consider this: which kind of person would you like to be?
That’s when the deep-work really begins. Not just in assessing your habits, actions and the way you do things, but also the heart behind which you do them. Be guided by principles and something beautiful.
Let life be an expression of a flourishing inward reality.
You might find you’ll sleep a little easier knowing everything was done right on your end.
“A good tree produces good fruit; a bad tree produces bad fruit.” (Matthew 7:17)
Even if you consider the set-backs and mistakes that may happen despite your good intentions. It’s just pruning; a cutting away of the dead to make room for the new. Pruning is a sign of growth not ‘badness’, but no amount of pruning will change what kind of tree you are.
Let Me Know What You Think
Hey if this article resonated with you, if it made you think of a recent conversation or stirred up some memories, if it helped you in anyway let me know because I really appreciate the feedback and it encourages me to keep writing.
Sometimes we can be quick to point the finger and get fired-up when we think about what’s in other peoples hearts, but the reality is when we look in the mirror we begin to notice our own imperfections, our own weakness and our own selfish nature.
Empathy is important, but at the same time, I don’t think we should be blind to the darkness in those around us.
Anyway, leave me a comment or shoot me a message on instagram, I’d love to hear from you.
Speak soon,
Curtis Butcher
P.S. It may be too simple to judge people by their actions, we don’t always know everything going on in their world.
However we do know this;
That how people live, the words they speak and the actions they make are a reflection, an expression of what’s going on in the inside.
Don’t be fooled, people usually reveal more than they mean to…
If this article resonated with you, hit me up on instagram and let me know!
