When you’re too open, and you are an imperfect, sinful person, sin often spills out of your heart.  So then, to avoid gossip, you try to stop yourself by putting a “filter” between what you think and what you say.  But then you realize, isn’t it still sin to think untrue things about people in your mind?  Yes.  But doing it out loud encourages it.

We do want to be good people, but that takes place ultimately by changing your heart, not your behavior.  And that’s risky, and it means you have to be self-aware, and no other person can control it for you, but that’s how God operates.

A while back, Jesus found some people who were sinful, and they didn’t like it, so they tried to fix it by making themselves better on the outside.  Here is what he said to them:

“’Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence!  Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so the outside of it may also become clean.

 ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity'” (Matthew 23:25-27).

When you feel justified, it is then you should feel fear, for “pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).  And how far was that fall!

I am not innocent in this, and I forsake my character for my outward reputation way too often. And even when I am following the law to the letter, I am never justified apart from grace.

This passage really spoke to my heart this week:

“I will instruct you and show you the way to go;
with My eye on you, I will give counsel.

Do not be like a horse or mule
without understanding,
that must be controlled with bit and bridle
or else it will not come near you”
(Psalm 32:8-9, HCSB).

For what is our goal as the church, the ecclesia, which means “the gathering,” but to “come near” to the Lord, and to gather around Him freely, daring to stare right back into his glorious eyes without fear?