Weekly Devotion - March 9, 2012

"You are good, and what you do is good;

teach me your decrees."

Psalm 119:68 NIV

 

Which is the greater testimony - what you say or what you do? Perhaps this quip attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson will help you understand my point: "What you do speaks so loud I cannot hear what you say." Clearly, our actions speak louder than our words. Yet our words are also important. The two - actions and words - should reflect in harmony the reality of your heart.

 

Jesus taught that the outward things are not really what are impure; what comes from the heart is either pure or impure. Your words and deeds stream from your heart. So if it appears that you talk and act in impure ways, the real issue is an impure heart.

 

What's the solution? How can you clean up? Some folks just try to change the outward stuff. They promise not to say one thing and do another. They say they will not use the colorful language that once filled their speech. They commit to treating people better. But if they don't address the heart, real change is not possible and the superficial change is not sustainable.

 

May I tweak Emerson's words? "What you do and say speak so loud that I cannot hear your heart." Who would say that to you? Your family might be thinking that today. Your boss could be thinking that right now. Do you friends really know you - the inner you?

 

Let me tweak again. "What you do and say speak so loud that I guess that is your heart." It is fraudulent to try to separate the inward and the outward. People will call us hypocrites. Especially if we claim to be Christian and act like the world.

 

So let your actions match your words and let both match your heart. Pray asking God to teach you his decrees so that your heart may be like his and your actions and deeds honor him.