What are you keeping in your heart?
Our hearts hold love, hope, and joy—but they also hold bitterness, jealousy, fear, and anger. Out of our hearts come both good and evil. We act on what our hearts are overflowing with. If we are storing love, then love will pour out through our words and actions. But if we are storing bitterness, envy, or anger, those things will begin to manifest in our lives.
We become what we allow to dwell in our hearts. Over time, it shapes who we are. We are known either for anger, dishonesty, and pride—or for being trustworthy, gentle, and someone others are drawn to because joy and peace are evident.
Christmas has come and gone. As I read the verses about Mary—how she stored things away in her heart and thought on them often—I found myself asking a difficult question: What am I keeping in my heart?
It’s been a good year. I am thankful. God has protected us, blessed us, answered prayers, and moved mountains. We are still standing on His faithfulness.
Financially, we can finally breathe a little easier—without me taking on a job or sending the kids to school. God knew my heart desired to teach our children from home, to pour into their education, their faith, and their lives. But last Christmas was hard. We reached a point where difficult decisions had to be made.
God opened the door for Derick to pastor at our church as a second job, and it has completely changed our lives. I didn’t have to quit homeschooling or go back to work. That wouldn’t have been a bad thing—but it wasn’t what we wanted for our family.
Instead, God answered our prayers in ways we didn’t expect. He always does. He shows up. He walks with us through both good and hard seasons. And even if our circumstances had turned out differently, I still believe He would have walked with us through that, too.
“But Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.” ~ Luke 2:19 NLT
“Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.” ~ Luke 2:51 NLT
I need to store the things God has walked us through—the ways He has provided and the prayers He has answered. Those memories belong in my heart, and I need to think on them often.
I think about many things often, but they are not always thoughts of Jesus and His goodness. Instead, I replay moments where people have wronged me—or where I have wronged them. I dwell on problems. I worry.
I should be storing the words of my King in my heart instead of what I see on social media or the gossip I’ve heard. I should be guarding my heart from fear, anger, bitterness, and hatred. I should be safeguarding answered prayers and testimonies of God’s faithfulness.
“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” ~ Proverbs 4:23 NLT
“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” ~ Psalm 119:11 NLT
My treasure is found in the Word of God—so why am I not protecting the most valuable things of this life in my heart? Why do I focus so easily on the problems and circumstances of this world?
I forget that real treasure is found in trusting God. He provides. His answers don’t always look like instant gratification, but time and again, I can look back and see His hand at work. He carried us.
“Store your treasures in heaven… Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” ~ Matthew 6:20–21 NLT
Scripture also tells us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. If I am not storing the things of God in my heart, it will show.
- I will get angry and yell at my children.
- I will grow bitter toward my husband.
- I will believe the lies that say I am not enough—too heavy, too poor, too broken, too unseen.
We will never feel like enough if we are measuring ourselves with the wrong treasure. Our words reveal what we have been storing.
“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart.” ~ Matthew 12:35 NLT
“For the word of God is alive and powerful… It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” ~ Hebrews 4:12 NLT
Thankfully, I serve a God who restores hearts. He renews. He forgives. He shows me who I am through His eyes. My worth is found in Him—not in comparison, not in performance, and not in the lies I’ve believed.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” ~ Psalm 51:10 NLT
It doesn’t matter who I was before I knew God. He can start me fresh. Every morning, His mercies are new. He can fix my heart.
This has been a hard Christmas for much of our family. We lost someone we love, and that loss left a deep ache. Many people are walking through grief, sickness, and unspoken hardships. Christmas can feel heavy when those you love are hurting.
The kids received a squishy pickle toy filled with white, gooey slime. They stretched it, threw it, and played with it—until they squeezed it too hard and it burst. The mess came pouring out, and we had to clean it up quickly before it ruined everything.
That’s a lot like our hearts. The pressure of life keeps squeezing us, and eventually something comes out. What spills from our hearts and mouths can be gentle and life-giving—or messy, ugly, and destructive.
Christmas often squeezes us. It reminds us of who we’ve lost, where we’ve failed, and what feels lacking. Under that pressure, what we’ve been storing in our hearts begins to show.
I hope what spills from my heart reflects God’s love. But I know that greed, fear, and pride have surfaced more than once this season. Thankfully, I can bring that to God—repent, surrender, and let Him continue His work in me.
So as a new year begins, I want to be intentional about what I treasure. I want my heart to be filled with His Word, His faithfulness, and His truth—things worth storing, worth guarding, and worth remembering.