From a woman to women

 
 
 
                                                                    Matters of the heart
 
                                                                        By Julie Hobschaidt
                                                                 (member of Bethlehem PA church of Christ)
 
"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful."
Colossians 3:12-15 NASB
 
"But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.  For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders." 
Matthew 15:18-19 NASB
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A grieving mother on the news is tearfully calling on the community to speak out and "stop the violence in the streets".     How exactly do we do that?  Sounds like a reasonable and much needed request. Who could possibly be against that?  Perhaps we have not considered the matters of the heart and overlook the simple truth.   Jesus said in Matt 22:39, “you shall love your neighbor as yourself".  How do we love our neighbor, if our heart is full of evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slander. etc (Matt15:19)
 
Is this an over simplified solution?  Not really.  If I love my neighbor, I won’t murder, slander, or steal from them. 
 
But what is at the very "heart of the matter" is that my heart is filled with the evil thoughts to begin with.  So it’s not the community that is going to make the necessary change.   We as individuals must "put on love which is the perfect bond of unity" (Col. 3:14).    But it can't stop there.    We as parents must teach our children to "put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; (Col 3:12) and model these behaviors ourselves.
"But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."   1 Timothy 1:5 
 
These matters of the heart are the very things needed to help us truly love our neighbor. Only then will the tide begin to turn to "stop the violence" 
 
"Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart." 
1 Peter 1:22 
 
 
 
"Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life." 
Proverbs 4:23