The word toxic means containing poisonous substances. We sometimes notice that poisonous decal on tanker trucks that pass by us as we travel the highways on our daily commutes or on long trips. Other times we notice that poisonous decal on containers as we walk the isles of Lowe’s or Home Depot.
Have you ever thought that some people should be required to wear one of those poisonous decals? Have you ever concluded that some people are just toxic and dangerous to be around? There are just some folks that it’s just dangerous to come into contact with. While the container that houses their poison sometimes looks harmless, what pours out of them at times feels like it could almost kill you. Where do people store all that poison they find necessary to pour out on others? Jesus told us that it comes from deep down inside us. “Out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” (Matthew 15:19 NIV)
There are things that happen along life’s journey that have the potential to poison our hearts. If we are not careful, we allow things that store up in our hearts to not only have the potential to destroy us but everyone around us. I have discovered in my own life journey that hurt people hurt people.
The Bible referred to one of Israel’s ancient kings as the wisest man to have ever lived. In this book of wise says known as Proverbs, Solomon writes these words … Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (Proverbs 4:23 NIV) The New American Standard Bible translates the same Bible verse this way, Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.
Basic reasoning tells us that if you poison a spring or well, everything from that spring or well would be poison and have the potential to poison everyone that it comes into contact with.
The advice of the wisest man that ever lived is that we should do everything necessary to guard our hearts and protect them from toxins that can pollute and poison us, our spouses, our children, our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers, and the people we worship with.
I hope you will plan to join us on the weekends that follow our celebration of the resurrection of our savior, Jesus Christ, for a new message series called, TOXIC – Recognize and Remove Hidden Dangers. In this series we will talk about pride, lust, greed, guilt, and anger that have the potential to poison our hearts and cause us to be toxic to ourselves and toward others. And we will talk about how the power of God’s Word and the power of the Holy Spirit can do the cleanup that can radically transform our hearts.
Pastor Randy Mitchell
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