Proverbs 10:21 says…

“The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value.”

It is clear from the Bible that words proceed from the heart (Luke 6:45). This passage is clearly distinguishing the heart of the righteous from the heart of the wicked. Those who are righteous on the inside show it through the words that they speak. Those who are wicked on the inside show it by the words that they speak.

I’ve said it before but I think it’s important to emphasize the fact that righteousness is a gift. No one is righteous simply based on their own merits.  It is a gift that is afforded to us through the work of Jesus on the cross. Once that gift is accepted however, we can then begin to apply our efforts in living lives that are characterized by righteousness.

“The tongue of the righteous is choice silver…” Those who live to please God have good stored up in them. It doesn’t matter if they’re in the grocery store, the bank or the DMV. Well, even the righteous probably struggle in the DMV (-; The point is that they are preoccupied and focused on the state of their hearts and therefore have things of value to say. It becomes easier and easier as they move along because they know that the life inside of them matters just as much if not more than the life outside of them.

“….the heart of the wicked is of little value.” Those who are wicked are generally more concerned with life on the outside than they are with life on the inside. They tend to think that the state of their heart doesn’t matter all that much. We live in a culture that drastically underestimates the importance of the heart. The emphasis that we see around us is on getting the job done and taking shortcuts to success. We like the idea of having a good and noble heart but we think that’s something that just sort of happens.

Working on your heart is serious business. Growth on the inside doesn’t happen without serious love and attention from God and from ourselves. This is the real difference between the righteous and the wicked. Truly righteous people are becoming more and more alive on the inside. This growing life inside manifests in the valuable things that they say and the freedom that they live in. Wickedness means not being alive on the inside. Those who are wicked may act like they’re alive but it’s just a show.

How focused are you on the life of your heart? How is your soul getting along? Are you experiencing true joy and peace? Are you experiencing freedom or bondage? The worst mistake any of us could make would be to neglect our hearts in the pursuit of external success. God cares so deeply about you and he wants you to be truly alive. The first step to moving in that direction is acknowledging the problem. What’s your next step?