Actions Speak

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’

‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

~ Matthew 21:28-31a

I’ve written before about how much power our words have, but I do believe our actions can be even more powerful. As the parable above displays – it is very simple to say one thing and do something completely different. Consider what affect this might have on the people around you. When others see you declare one thing and do another, your actions trump your words. The old phrase “do what I say, and not what I do” is an unfortunate take on life that many of us go by. Think about your role models, the people you look up to. Did you wish to emulate everything they said to do, or did you wish to do all they did that made them who they were?

As Christians, we have people observing our actions. Some are other Christians who are trying to learn how they should act. Others are people who are curious about Christianity and observe us to see what it’s all about. And then there is another group who watches and waits for us to do something wrong. If you don’t believe me, listen to what Jesus said:

Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ~ John 15:20

The Pharisees watched Jesus very closely, trying to catch Him in a sin so they could kill Him. If we are living like Christ as we are called to do, why would we not also have people watching us? But don’t look at this and think that people only see or are only looking for you to stumble.

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. ~ Acts 4:13

The crowds saw Peter and John and were amazed. The people saw the good they were doing and knew that on their own they should not have been able to accomplish what they did. It says they knew “these men had been with Jesus.” Just by standing up and speaking as the Spirit led, they were able to show great crowds the power of God in their lives. As Christians, we have “been with Jesus!” He is alive within us and if we trust Him and act as He leads us, others will notice.

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. ~ Matthew 5:16

1 Peter 2:12 says to live such good lives that even those who accuse you of doing wrong will see your actions and will praise your Father in heaven! Even those who accuse you will see your actions and not be able to deny the God you serve! But you must be aware of what you are doing and how it lines up with what you are professing. Don’t just talk about your faith, walk it out!

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “God, I wish you well; keep warm and well fad,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder. ~ James 2:14-19

Haste makes Waste

It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way. ~ Proverbs 19:2


We live in a fast-paced world. Would you agree? We’re constantly making quick decisions, hoping that we’ve acted correctly. Too often we look at the world, look at our options, and make what the world might consider “good” choices. We choose the most logical path, the one that appears to bring us what we desire most – whatever that may be.

When we make these decisions out of our knowledge, however, we can “miss the way.” I’ve mentioned before that as Christians we are not called to the ways of this world. God has so much more in store for us. When we become rash, hasty, and impatient, we are more prone to make decisions before seeking counsel and can trap ourselves in those decisions.

It is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider his vows. ~ Proverbs 20:25

Impatience is something that I struggle with daily. I hear of a wonderful opportunity to do something and I immediately jump in to help out. I’m not just speaking of things that are “wrong” or of doing things you feel convicted about; I’m speaking also of things that we would consider “good.”

Let me get specific. I graduated from college this past Spring and, according to the world, it’s time for me to get a job. In my mind it didn’t matter that I was going to be starting graduate school in the Fall. If I was out of college, I needed to start making money to support myself. I would certainly not say this is a “wrong” thought or action. In my case, however, as I prayed and sought God’s wisdom, as I spoke with mentors, friends, and family, I felt God leading me to not get a job. It’s been a struggle for me because I feel like I’m going against what the world says I should be doing. I know, however, that I’m following God’s Will for my life and because I have followed this even when it wasn’t comfortable, He has made so many opportunities for me to help out at my church, mend relationships, and just love on people. Now, if I had made a hasty decision based on my own knowledge of what I thought I was to be doing, I would have missed out on all that He had for me!

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. ~ Proverbs 15:22

The next time you need to make a decision, whether it’s something big like where to work or live or it’s small like whether or not to go see a movie with friends, seek counsel. Don’t jump into something only to discover later what you have promised to do. Some decisions will be very easy, God’s Word is very plain about certain choices and, if you are spending time in the Scriptures, you will know what choice you should make pretty quick. Other decisions will be a little harder. Take the time you need to pray, read the Word, talk to a godly counsel in your life, and wait for the Lord. He will guide you if you are taking the time to seek His Wisdom. When you seek Him you will find Him. He will not allow you to step into somewhere you do not belong if you are asking, seeking, and listening for His response.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. ~ Psalm 27:14

Jesus' Example

And [Jesus] directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ~ Matthew 14:19


I’ve been reading through the New Testament recently, starting at Matthew 1:1. This is something I’ve done before, but there is a new goal, a new purpose in this reading. In previous times, I read these passages looking at them as a whole. Now, however, I’ve been keeping a very close eye on what exactly Jesus does in each situation. He is, after all, the example of what every Christian should be working towards:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 2:5

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 3:14

There have been many messages preached on Matthew 14:19 that I’ve heard and have really gotten a lot from. Each of these, however, has focused on the second part of the verse, pointing out that the disciples had to trust Jesus enough to take the baskets around to the people. They needed faith that there would be enough food to feed the multitudes even though there were only five loaves of bread and two fish to feed about 5,000 men, not including women and children! As I read this a few days ago, however, the actions of Jesus really stood out to me. In this passage we see Jesus asking God to bless the loaves that they may be enough to feed the multitudes. In our lives we might be praying for God to bless our finances, asking for wisdom in what job to take, asking God to provide good health, or a plethora of other things. I believe there are three things Jesus does in this passage that we need to do as we ask God to bless situations in our lives.

1. It says Jesus looked up to heaven. We need to recognize from whom the blessing will come. It is important for us to understand that God is the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). It is not by our works that these things will be accomplished (Ephesians 2:9).

2. Jesus “gave thanks.” The miracle had not yet occurred. There were still 5,000 hungry men in the crowd who had yet to eat. We need to thank God in advance for what He is going to do! We need to have faith that He will grant our request. After all:

If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. ~ Matthew 21:22

3. Finally Jesus “broke the bread.” After bringing His request before God, recognizing from whom the blessing was going to come, and giving thanks for what God was going to do, He acted. He didn’t wait to see all the bread needed to feed the 5,000 before telling the disciples to take the baskets out. He stepped out in faith, again showing His trust that the Lord would provide.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. ~ Hebrews 11:1

We need to ask believing that God is going to provide. Trust Him. And don’t be afraid to make known from whom your blessings have come.

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ~ James 1:6

Full House

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? ~ 1 Corinthians 3:16


Did you know that you are God’s temple? We often picture a building or perhaps even a group of people that we label “the church,” but did you know that you are God’s temple? I was curious what exactly Paul was referring to when he said “temple” so I looked up the Hebrew translation. The word used is naos, and is used to refer to the Holy place and the Holy of Holies. In the Old Testament, this is where the presence of God dwelt. We now, through Jesus’ sacrifice, are able to carry His Presence with us. We have become His temple and He dwells within us!  With this idea that we are the temple of the living God in my mind, I was reading through Exodus and came across this passage:

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ~ Exodus 40:34-35

The glory and presence of the Lord was so strong in the tabernacle that Moses couldn’t enter. Remember - we are temples of the living God! This is an excellent image of our ultimate goal - to allow the presence of God to be so strong in our lives that we literally cannot enter!  Allow Him to fill your life and use you for His Glory.  You will not be disappointed!

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. ~ Galatians 2:20