Out of the Overflow of the Heart

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.

Matthew 12:34b-35

 

 

I need to memorize this passage…everyone in vocational ministry needs to memorize this passage.

 

Those of us who are career pastors so often forget about the effect our words – outside the sermon – have on people. To be sure, our lives are hectic and stressful; our days are filled with 12+ hours of meetings, reading, writing, studying, and “damage control.” And although we may do a good job taking time out for our families, we often miss out on taking care of our own spiritual vitality. It’s no wonder so many pastors “burn out” after just a few short years in ministry.

 

Burn out is the last thing I want for my ministry. It has become painfully obvious to me that I don’t spend nearly as much time in the Word for myself – apart from class assignments, sermons, translation, etc. – as I should be. Unfortunately, I don’t attend a school that pushes it on us nearly hard enough either.

 

There have been times in my life when I’ve been really good about reading the Bible on a regular basis. Usually what ends up happening is I’ll get a ways into it (I made it all the way to Judges last time) then run out of steam. Although I have read everything in the Bible at least once, I’ve never made it through the Bible in one attempt.

 

At the end of September I decided that was going to change – Lord willing. I purchased Logos Bible Software (which I’m required to have for some of my classes anyways) and created a Bible Reading Plan. The plan I created will have me reading an OT and NT passage everyday. Some weeks are better than others, but so far I’ve managed to stay on track. The Reading Plan will have me finishing up in April 2009.

 

But how does all this tie in with Matthew 12? Pastoral ministry is draining work. I know from experience – I also know because in many ways seminary isn’t much different. Jesus is criticizing the Pharisees for their accusations and attitude toward the work he is doing. Apparently, they weren’t too keen on his miracles and stuff. In response he fires back at them accusing them of being spiritually void – and therefore incapable of truly ministering to the people entrusted to them.

 

The way we interact with the people we serve says something about our spiritual health. “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” How can we show love to others, if we haven’t figured out how to love ourselves as Christ loves us? How can counsel the confused if we do not ask God for wisdom every morning before walking into the office? How can we console the hurting if we do not take time to commune with the Comforter? How can we do any of these things if we do not spend time in God’s Word every day – feeding our soul and growing ourselves up to maturity in the faith?

 

“Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” I don’t want to be like so many pastors I’ve seen over the years: lifeless, burnt out, spiritually sluggish, worried… I want to be a pastor known for loving people – one who is authentic in his struggles and his victories. I want to be a pastor who cares. That’s why I’ve committed myself to this reading plan.

All I ask of you is that you would hold me accountable to that. If you haven’t seen a post up here for a while dealing with my reading, call me on the carpet for it. And I would challenge you as well to strive to minister out of the overflow of your heart. Let God work on you – preparing you for works of service…

Filed under: Bible Study, Christian Living, Ministry