Show & Tell

We have all heard the phrase “Actions speak louder than words”. It is a largely accepted view of the majority of people living in America today. We buy into it because someone can say “I love you” but not act like it. Someone can say “I forgive you” but not act like it. The list goes on and on, you can say anything you want, but if you don’t back it up with your actions, then the words become hollow and meaningless.

There are two sides to this phrase and we must examine both as believers. When we say we forgive someone, we must act forgiving, when we say we love someone, we must act lovingly. When we say we love God, we must act like it through faithful obedience. “Christians” who claim to follow Jesus but then deny him by their lifestyle are nothing but hypocrites, liars, and plastic souls. If we do not allow the gospel of Jesus Christ to change the way that we live as well as the things that we say, then we do not really understand Jesus at all.

On the other hand, we believers have let this “actions speak louder than words” mentality slip too far into our minds. We think that simply “loving people to Jesus” is the best and only way to do evangelism. We think that if we do nice things for people, meet their physical needs, and give them money, we are doing enough. Even if there has been no verbal sharing of the gospel, what the bible says, or what it means to follow Jesus, we think we have done our job by loving them with our actions.

It will always be a good thing to meet people’s physical needs. In fact we have been called to help the poor and needy in tangible and practical ways. As believers, we must back up our words with our actions, but we must not neglect the power and importance of verbal proclamation of the gospel. What good are our actions if we do not explain to the people we are attempting to “love to Jesus”, why we are doing what we are doing, how Jesus has transformed our lives, and that he loves them and wants to transform them as well? The power of the gospel message comes from a beautiful blend of actions and words and we must not be too quick to rely only on one or the other. Love people with your actions, serve them, help them, feed them, clothe them. Love people with your words as well, tell them about the bible, tell them about Jesus, and tell them about his unbelievable love for them. Through our actions and our words, the Spirit will move in the hearts of those who hear the gospel message.