feb 8 : matthew 12

Hello.
"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."

I feel like I am an in between tree. Sometimes I bear good fruit, but often times I bear not-so-good fruit. Jesus says that whatever is in our heart will be the source of what comes out as words and action. When the Pharisees were constantly trying to corner Jesus he disregarded them because he said that whatever comes out of them is no good because they are no good. It's so important to put what is good into our hearts. In Psalms it tells us to guard our hearts for it is the wellspring of life. Why guard it? Because it is so easily corrupted. As Jesus was explaining in this passage, what goes in comes out and what does not go in does not come out. Simple right? The movies we watch, the friends of influence, church, books, magazines, and much more enters our naive and malleable hearts. A shape is formed, and from it our character and personality are developed. Let us hope that Jesus would look at us and tell us we have goodness coming out of us, not because we are perfect, righteous, or holy, but passionate, hungry, and full of grace.