Watch your thoughts for they become words,
watch your words for they become actions,
watch your actions, for they become habits,
watch your habits for they become your character,
watch your character for it becomes your destiny.
I couldn’t remember where I first heard this quote, but it came to my mind as I read this weekend’s readings about the connection between our thoughts and the words that come out of our mouth. It turns out that there is quite a long history to various versions of this quote. It’s not clear who said it first, but the final line of today’s gospel has a similar start: “From the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.”
We tend to focus a lot on actions and habits, but Jesus wants to get to the root. He wants us to look at our hearts. Whatever actions we are doing, for good or ill, it starts with our thoughts and what what is in our hearts. Like a tree, if we are bearing bad fruit, it must be because there is something bad from the roots. To fix the fruit, you have to fix the root. If you want to change your habits and make a new start, listen to your heart.