I imagine there's not a person alive who's never heard the old adage, "Actions speak louder than words." And I also imagine everyone who's heard it knows what it means.
I recently heard about a situation in which someone claiming to be a Christian (we'll call them Dakota) behaved in a decidedly un-Christlike way toward another Christian (we'll call this one Taylor). Dakota was not at all bothered with resolving a situation, but rather in having their say. Having their own way without listening to the concerns of Taylor.
As I said, both are Christians. Everyone who knows them knows this. But imagine for a moment Taylor is not a Christian. How do you think Dakota's behavior would affect Taylor? In a word ... YIKES.
In our current society, Christians often complain about being persecuted. I hear "the war on Christianity" on a fairly regular basis. First, before you talk about persecution, go back and read some of the accounts of first-century Christians in the Roman empire. Now that's persecution.
Another thing I'd ask you to consider is this: The behavior of some claiming to be Christians is at the very root of the disdain and outright hatred many people in the world feel for Christians, in general. Going to church and calling myself a Christian doesn't actually make me a Christian, any more than going to Whataburger makes me a cheeseburger.
So my question for you--and for me--is simple enough, although we may not like our own answer. Are you loving in deed? Or is your love in words only? Are you walking the walk, or just talking the talk? If it's the latter, I'd encourage you to stop talking and start walking. I'll work on it, too.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
- If actions speak louder than words, what are my actions telling others about me?
- What are my actions telling the world about Christians?
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