As I stood in church before the benediction, I heard the Spirit of the Lord say, “Wash the Windows of Your Hear.” Of course, I’m thinking, Lord? Is there such a scripture? How can that be done? Do our hearts have windows?

Upon getting into my vehicle, I picked up my phone to simply Google “washing the windows of your heart.” Yup! It’s there. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

Better yet! Lord? That’s got-to-be-for-someone-else. Of course, God spoke again.

I was reminded of a conversation I had with a young lady regarding her roommate. She was so upset; I could hardly speak during our conversation so I listened attentively as she vented. The complaints went on and on. I eventually spoke up at certain times to console the hurt she felt. I continued to listen attentively and reminded her about God’s word in certain areas regarding her pain and brokenness.

After our conversation, I felt drained. I pondered asking myself. “What was our conversation about? It was her roommate, why couldn’t this be settled among them? How did the roommate feel?” My pondering was all over the place.

Oh Boy! It was me the Holy Spirit was speaking to. I listened to a conversation for hours and I allowed her to create an image of an individual in my heart. The darkness in her heart about her roommate obscured the window of my heart. We all suffer when we don’t have enough light in our lives…when we have a narrow vision of people and the issues we all encounter daily.

We allow the windows of the heart to be stained with the cares of the world. The encounters we have in our relationships, careers, with our cohorts, and in our families and by-golly that list keeps growing. Right? It continues to stain the way that we see people and how we relate to them over time. Simply put, we’re not able to develop healthy relationships because what we’ve seen and heard from the past won’t allow us to see the person through the “clean windows of our heart”.

As for me, I’m cleaning the windows of my heart. I thought by listening to this young lady and creating ways for her to hear God’s word was enough. It wasn’t. My responsibility was to speak up during our unpleasant conversation instead of being passive not wanting to hurt her feelings.

I thought I believed in the golden rule. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Luke 6:31

It is a simple yet powerful way of saying that we should recognize and respect the dignity of our fellow man and not to forget we all are capable of immoral actions. We’re just quick to judge when it’s not our immoral action(s) on display.

I thought I also believed “You reap what you sow.” This is a well-known idiom, but this principle is also Biblical. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Galatians 6:7.

In short, none of us can allow someone else to create images in our hearts. It’s our responsibility if we are bold enough, to have the conversation with that individual and remain neutral. During our conversations, we should take the time to ask questions. Questions that allow us to place them in the shoes of the person they are talking about. If we do that, I’m confident the griping and complaining would almost become none. We should also ask ourselves. “Why am I receiving this information?” “How is this information going to affect me overtime?” You don’t want to be perceived as a gossiper, you know?

Keep in mind. There is a motive behind every reason. Good or Bad.

In conclusion, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”

We want people to know our heart because Proverbs just said, “for everything you do flows from it.” We don’t want people to stain our hearts with evil speaking and unclean thoughts about our brethren. We want to draw people with our love and kindness.

This is your challenge.

During your next conversation (unpleasant or unwanted), pay attention and lead with an open clean heart. Shift your perspective from the eyes in your “head” to the eyes in your “heart.” God will do the rest…