When I was a little girl I loved fairy tales! Princesses... and castles... and magic... and handsome princes!
I was particularly fond of a little known fairy tale called ROSE RED AND ROSE WHITE... a story about two princesses, one good and one naughty.
The illustrations in the book were stunning and beautifully detailed. I was fascinated by those images.
One picture really captured my imagination and got my attention...
It was a picture of one of the princesses spewing frogs and lizards and flies and snakes up and out of her mouth... while rose petals gracefully fell from the lips of the other princess.
The story goes that the princess who had the "pestilence problem" also had trouble controlling her tongue and said mean and horrid things... while the princess who's lips were rose tinged would only say kind and uplifting thing.
This made a very big impression on me as a seven year old!
ROSE RED AND ROSE WHITE could almost be a parable that Jesus would have told... there is great biblical and practical truth in it. But instead Jesus said...
FOR THE MOUTH SPEAKS OUT OF THAT WHICH FILLS THE HEART~ Matt 12:34
At the time these eternal words were spoken by Jesus, the heart (cardia in Greek) was thought to be the center or seat of physical and spiritual activity. It was the mind, intellect, emotions and will of a person.
Jesus was saying that when we speak in unkind ways, use bad language, speak out negative thoughts, or hurt other with our words...
we do not have a mouth problem... we have a heart problem.
Our mouth reflects and affects our heart (mind). Words have great power to hurt and heal... even us!
Jesus says in HIS word... work on your heart... guard your lips... speak out words in love and filled with lovel!
So here is my gentle advice... and maybe God's advice... to the princess with the "pestilence problem"... fill your heart with God's word... pray Ps. 141:3 daily, SET A GUARD OVER MY MOUTH O LORD, KEEP WATCH OVER THE DOOR OF MY LIPS".... and act like the princess we all know you can be!!!
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