The Problem With Do As I Say Not As I Do
He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.” ~Lk 8:21
I had the opportunity to reflect to the same readings one year ago. My first reaction was to wonder if I was going to say the same things. I checked my history to refresh my memory.
Today, I picked the same verse to reflect on with a little more focus on the last part: …and act on it.
Many read and listen to the word of God. Most of them claim to believe in it. But, how many act on it?
According to different surveys, roughly 60% of people in the U.S.A. claim to be Christians. That means three out of five people around you and me are fellow believers.
Here’s a question: would they be able to tell without a shadow of doubt that I am a disciple of Christ?
- How credible is the smoker telling you smoking is bad for you as they are lighting their cigarette?
- Why do should we listen and follow an obese doctor telling us to eat healthy and exercise?
- Many more examples for discrepancies between words and actions can be made.
While reality is more nuanced and must be interpreted in context, it’s difficult to ignore the power of actions matching the words. The overused phrase “actions speak louder than words” carry a lot of truth. In fact, Jesus used a lot of energy calling out the religous authorities for their lack of integrity.
Today, I invite you to join me in taking five(5) minutes to review your actions of the past month and identify one (1) thing you can start going to be an example of Christ.
In peace,
~Juan
PS: if you missed last year’s reflection, you can find it here.
