What's on my Store Shelf?

Scripture

Matthew 12:35

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.

In the Message:

It's your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation."

Observation

As I let the Lord examine my heart, I will find out what type of inventory I have on hand. Is my heart empty, low on inventory or is it stocked full with inventory faced perfectly on each shelf? What have I stored up, or what am I stored up on?

Application

So I guess the question would be, why would my store shelf's be empty or full? Looking at the scripture it goes back to verse 30 when Jesus says, "He who is not with me is against me". So if I am with Christ I have the beginning of storing up good things. But it goes on to say, that the things that overflow out of my heart is really coming from what is stored up in me. So what types of things am I bringing into my store house? I have one BIG #10 can of Jesus on my shelf because I am with him, but throughout the day what other inventory am I storing up? Did I show agape love to my "neighbor"-good stored up, did I deny myself and lift up others-good stored up, did I speak words of encouragement and hope-good stored up, did I speak ill-will and gossip-evil stored up?

For me this is a great barometer as to what is stored up in my heart. Is it good or evil? If there is more evil than good, then I need to go to the Warehouse and get new inventory. More time with the Lord, more time in His word, more time in prayer so my shelves will be full of all things good.

Prayer

Father, Thank you for being the only warehouse I need to come to, so I can store up good things. All good things are from you and for your glory only, if my store is full then it is because or you and will only be used to glorify you; not me. Help me today, to follow you ways and speak words of good to those I meet. If there is evil words and deeds in me, I ask that you remove them and as I seek you more replace them with good. Amen.