Thursday, October 27, 2011
THE HEART IS THE ROOT
Man is like a tree. His heart, not his will alone, is the root. There is
no possible way by which the will can choose to produce fruit contrary
to the character of the root. If the root is bad, the tree is bound by
its very nature to produce evil fruit. Man is like a person standing
alongside his treasure chest. There is no possibility of bringing pure
gold out of a box filled only with rusty steel. The contents of the
heart determine what words and deeds may be brought out. Far from being
neutral, the will must reach into the heart for its choices. Every
thought, word and deed will partake of the nature of the treasure
within. Man is like a stream which cannot rise above its source. If
the fountain is polluted, the outflow will be evil. If the source be
sweet, the stream will not be bitter and cannot choose to be so. These
three illustrations alike contain the same lesson. What a man is
determines what he chooses. Choices of the will always reveal the
character of the heart, because the heart determines the choices. ~
Walter J. Chantry