Proverbs 16:23 The hearts of the wise make their mouths prudent, and their lips promote instruction.

So often, I hear people say, ‘But I’m a good person,’ ‘I do good things,’ and ‘I give to charity,’ although this may be true, sadly, this simple belief doesn’t hold much weight. You see, God sees our hearts. He sees those negative traits that we may not recognize within ourselves or even perceive as negative. He digs deeper, going beyond the flesh to a place where human eyes can’t reach – our souls.

Our Father examines the motivation behind each action that flows from our hearts. What propels your good deeds? Is it for applause? Pride? Is it for self-aggrandizement or contractual gain?

We cannot be the judge of what is pure in our own eyes. The Holy Spirit is our God-given measure, the seal upon our hearts, that we must invite to identify whether our ‘pure’ motives are with God or apart from God. Like a sift used for gold panning, separating the river sediment from the gold, it leaves behind what is valuable. The Holy Spirit is our sift, our Helper, separating the pure from the dross.

“The heart of fools is in their mouth, but the mouth of the wise is in their heart.” Bible Hub