Actions Speak Louder Than Words

  The statement, “Actions speak louder than words” is something we have all heard. Yet, the truth of this statement is largely ignored. We preach many good things with our lips, but with our feet we deny those truths.

  This fact rings true even in the scriptures. The lasting legacy that men and women of the Bible have laid down by their actions, and not just their words, is proof of this.

  For instance let’s look at David. David was a man after God’s own heart and penned some of the most beautiful words of praise to the Lord. However, most people only remember David for one of two things. They remember his battle with Goliath, which is good, but then they also remember his horrible sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. For a moment of indiscretion much of David’s good action and words are forever forgotten.

  We could also look at Jonah. According to Scripture Jonah was known as a man of God in his day.

II Kings 14:25 – “He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.”

  Jonah is also credited with the single greatest revival that we know of in the history of mankind.

Jonah 3:1-5 – “And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.

  Yet, we remember Jonah for his disobedience to God and not going to Nineveh when first asked. We also remember him for his bad attitude toward Nineveh and God when the city was not destroyed but experienced revival and mercy.

  So what is the point? The point is that moments of indiscretion can leave behind a flawed legacy that does not speak well of us. Therefore we should always have our guard up. We should always be asking the Lord for guidance and direction so that we might be the proper testimonies to the world around us of His love and grace.

  For a Christian it is of the utmost importance what we say and what we do; for what we do and say has a direct reflection not just on us, but also upon how people perceive who and what God is.