who farted?

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. - Jesus Christ


what's inside of you? that is the question of the day. 


I don't know much about how the body works but I know one thing is for sure, what I put in me eventually comes out of me and has an affect on me while it's in me. I know that on Sundays after eating at Maw-maw's house that I am going to be stuffed and this is going to lead me to fall asleep, and wake up feeling like I am nine months pregnant. 


I know that after I went to Mexico and had a pepper eating contest with a friend that that night I spent on the throne, half asleep, half awake and pleading with God that if he would keep what's in me, in me for at least a couple of hours so I could sleep that I would never forget to ask the blessing before every meal. Like I said what ever you put into you will eventually come out of you.


this is true not only biologically but practically


The music I listen to gets stuck in my head and I sing it under my breath for the rest of the day. The movies I watch equip me with cool new one-liners I can spout off to make everyone around me laugh. The people that I hang around I become more like everyday.


You see our minds are more of a steel tramp than our stomachs. What ever fills our heart and mind will be what comes out in what we say and do. When we fill our lives with truth, love, joy and peace, then we will embody those attributes and we will become known for them. 


In the same way if we fill our lives with lust, selfishness, jealousy and pride, then these characteristics will make up our reputations. You say, that what you watch, listen to and surround yourself with doesn't affect you. But by looking at you and having a three minute conversation with you, anyone can tell what music, movies and tv you like, along with where you shop and who you hang out with. Just this small glimpse into your life reveals what is important to you. Pretty soon your environment affects you so much you don't even realize it, it becomes second nature.


at this point things slip out...


...clueing everyone around you into what you are all about. One day in freshman algebra I finished my test early and fell asleep at my desk. I was having a great dream, only to have it interrupted by the sound of breaking wind. I looked up to see who had emitted the gas and saw the entire class looking at me. So I sniffed the air around me and discovered that I had let loose the noxious fumes. I laid my head down on my desk until the bell rang, trying to devise a plan on how I could switch schools. It just slipped out…


What was in me made a surprise appearance at a very inopportune time. Again, let me say the same is true with what we put into our hearts and mind. Someday after listening to awesome praise and worship you may let out a "Praise Jesus", in line at the grocery store. Someday after watching a movie that has more four letter words than a 1st grade English class you may get cut off in traffic while taking your grandparents to the airport and let out a string of words that would make a sailor blush. 


no matter what, it will slip out


As believers we must make every effort to make sure that what is in us will please God and be a mirror of Jesus when it comes out. We must be careful to guard our hearts and minds against all that could corrupt the great work God is doing in us. I am not going to give you a laundry list of things to watch and listen to and places to go, that's between you and God. I will say though...

be mindful of what you eat spiritually, 

because when you fart, you want people to smell it 

and want some of what you ate.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. - Paul of Tarsus