3. Actions Can Confuse
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. – Proverbs 25:21
Actions have the ability to confuse those around you, especially when you treat someone different than they expected or they feel they deserve. Such as:
- when someone expects an angry response and you show them mercy, or
- when someone wrongs you and you repay them with kindness.
This also works in reverse, if someone is kind to you and you treat them badly. The unexpected nature of your actions can cause confusion especially when they are different from the anticipated response. If you’re a parent, I’m sure your kids can relate to this statement.
In fact, one of the ways that we confuse our enemy, Satan, is when we can still worship God and call him good even when bad things happen. This throws him off his game because this is not the expected response.
All your actions have the potential to do this.
4. Actions Can Confirm
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. – John 13:35
Your actions have the ability to confirm the work that God is doing in your life. Such as:
- when you respond with patience where you used to fly off the handle
- when you exercise self-control over a habit or besetting sin that has been nagging you for years
- when you exhibit kindness and compassion for others when you used to be self-centered
- when you show love for people you used to despise
All these are actions that can confirm your maturity in Christ—and that you are his disciple.
As you can see, even though we can’t say 'actions speak louder than words' is a biblical proverb, the principle of this is in plain sight throughout Scripture. As mentioned earlier, actions reveal and proverbs make you think.
As Christians, we engage in actions (or disciplines) where words are futile unless they are backed by your actions. I want to challenge you to think about these four areas in your life and what your actions reveal:
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