Personal Beliefs vs "Living Out Loud" Behaviors: Who Are You Really Deceiving?

Here’s the challenge. Does your belief line up with how you behave? Or is your behavior a reflection of what you really believe? What a concept! Here we are living our lives saying one thing and doing another. Who is the real you; the one who says a particular thing or the one whose actions are the exact opposite of what they say? There’s a saying that we are what we do. Words are meaningless it’s the actions that take center stage. For instance, if I say I love you and yet everything I do to you and towards you screams the exact opposite, a wise person would understand the actions truly speak volumes as to what the person believes or feels about you. We must understand that we are not fooling people by attempting to appear to be one way when they truly know the “you” that acts contrary to your words.

For instance, I have an acquaintance who prays before every meal. He always says, “let me bless the food”, and yet he is spiteful, vindictive, a gossiper, a fornicator, someone you can’t trust but the mere fact that he graces the food is supposed to say to all that he is a Christian. Looking through this window what is your take away of this person? Exactly so look into the mirror and ask yourself what are the take aways about you? It’s real easy to look at someone else and pass judgment but it is almost impossible for us to look at ourselves and make the same introspective judgment we should be making, taking the time to reevaluate ourselves and see if we are really growing or are we stagnant or even worse have we fallen back to our old ways and worsened?

Worsened, how does one go from progress to regression? There is a parable that tells us how an individual was full of evil, they were introduced to truth, evil flew and sat back and watched. The person introduced to the truth did nothing with that truth, didn’t study the word, go to bible study, didn’t endeavor to associate with like-minded individuals, failed to do anything to ensure that which was received was held captive whatever the cost. Evil saw that this individual was weak, not prepared to handle life with the little truth they had received. Evil could see that he/she was vulnerable, easily offended and unable to stand through the onslaught of life. So evil being wise comes back to the house that had been cleaned and brings his buddies. The scripture says that the persons latter state was worse than its beginning (Luke 11:24-26). 

I believe everyone wants to be what they say. The challenge is we are not willing to do what it takes to ensure that we are an exact reflection of what we believe. This means all areas of our lives.

 

·      You should not have to say you’re a Christian your life should scream that you are one. David says in Psalm 119 “thy word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you”. Have you hidden His word in your heart so that your actions stand in agreement with God’s?

 

·      If you say you have faith do you really? When times get hard, the pink notice is given, the shut off notice comes for your utilities, your husband/wife leaves you, your friends are not there – where is your faith? Are you able to stand on the promises of God that says, “I will never leave you neither will I forsake you? My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory? He sticks closer to you than any friend?”

·      You say you are someone’s friend and yet you listen to the harmful things said about your friend. You feel because you don’t say anything while they’re talking about the friend that somehow you haven’t harmed your friend. Really! You should shut them down and let them know you will not entertain these conversations. Refer them to your friend. Isn’t that really who they should speaking to anyway?

·      You say you trust - do you really?

·      You say you believe – do you really?

·      You say you are a new creation – are you really? Scripture says that because of what Christ did on the cross we no longer live for ourselves but for Him – do you? Are you seeking God’s best? Are you looking for God’s best in all people you meet? As a new creation are you an ambassador, a minister of reconciliation?

See we need to understand what we say and how what we say affects those around us. So don’t get it twisted, you are how you behave and not what you say. You’re not fooling anyone and more importantly you’re not fooling yourself and you’re not fooling God.