When a youngster I often heard this maxim. It can mean what we do will impact someone else more than what we say. It can also mean that when there is a difference between what we say and what we do, people are more likely to believe what we do rather than what we say.
It recognizes that people will say one thing but do another. They may tell us that someone is not important to them, but they spend a lot of time on their cell phone to them, texting them, chatting with them on Facebook Video Messenger, and spending time in their company.
This tells us one of two things. They are not being honest with us. They are not being honest with themselves. It is more likely to be the latter.
When someone seldom if ever initiates contact with us and is slow to respond to our texts and phone calls, it conveys the message that they are not particularly interested in a relationship with us or something is keeping them from pursuing a relationship with us—our behavior, their perceptions of us, or their own anxieties, fears, and insecurities.
If they do not offer us a credible explanation for their actions, we are left to guess what may be causing them to act the way that they are acting. This can have a negative effect on ourselves. It may precipitate or exacerbate low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and other behavioral problems.
Disciples of Jesus need to pay attention to how their actions affect other people as well as their words. They need to show a higher level of sensitivity than other people if they are to live by Jesus’ teaching. Living by Jesus’ teaching is not optional for one of his disciples. It is essential to genuine discipleship. When it comes to following Jesus, our actions do speak louder than our words!
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