![]() ![]() Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Silvia Jansen 3. Sadly, people who act with this motivation may get the applause of men but that is all they will ever get. While the actions they take are good, they conceal the true inspiration behind them. They want people to applaud and appreciate them for what they do. Some people act simply to create an image of who they are. He is establishing a principle that what you do is important, but why you do it is equally important. Here in Matthew, Jesus is giving instruction about the motivation behind what you do. Sometimes actions conceal what’s really in the heart. Actions Can Concealīe careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. – Matthew 6:1Īs powerful as actions are in revealing, they don’t always tell the whole story. Their actions reveal that they don’t really know God. These corrupt, unbelieving people talk a good game with their mouths, but their lifestyle and their actions don’t match their talk. ![]() Here in Titus, Paul is describing some people who he calls corrupt and unbelieving. There is an expression people use: “talk a good game.” This means a person says one thing but when the rubber meets the road and the truth is revealed they are lacking. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. – Titus 1:16Īctions have the ability to reveal what’s in a person’s heart. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Jupiterimages 1. To understand this better, I want to share four important things we learn from actions: We know for a fact that words are powerful, but so are your actions. So ‘actions speak louder than words’ isn’t an exact biblical proverb, however, I would call it a biblical principle. While you can’t make a claim that this proverb comes from Scripture, there is clear evidence that God puts priority not just on what you say, but also on what you do. The closest thought to this is found in 1 John 3:18:ĭear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. If you want to be technical, that proverb written in those exact words does not appear in the bible. – Does it originate from the heart of God or the heart of man? Not a Proverb, but a Principle – Is ‘actions speak louder than words’ a biblical proverb? With that being said, I want to put to the test one proverb that is quoted often and I am sure you have said yourself: actions speak louder than words. The difference between these and other proverbs is that biblical proverbs have their origin in the heart and mind of God. There is also an entire collection of biblical proverbs known as the book of Proverbs. Proverbs will typically originate in the hearts and minds of wise men and women. After all, these short, wise sayings pack a big punch, cause you to think, and (when applied) can help guide your actions or decisions. I took this image at the Taipei Confucius Temple.Generally speaking, people love proverbs. It also features several riffs from him on the theme of actions speak louder than words. (1) The Analects is littered with admonitions from Confucius about the need to speak sincerely and avoid flattery and fakery, including 1.3, 5.5, 12.3, 16.4, and 17.7. You can read my full translation of Book 4 here. This article features a translation of Chapter 22 of Book 4 of the Analects of Confucius. All of us would do well to remember the adage that actions speak louder than words and make sure that we are able to deliver on our commitments before we give them. Leaving aside the questionable historical accuracy of Confucius’s comments, there’s no denying the validity of the advice he gives. The big advantage they had compared even to Confucius’s contemporaries was that virtually nobody was around to record their utterances and save them for posterity to rake over. Oh for the good old days when everyone’s word was their bond and people only opened their mouths after carefully considering what they were going to say!Įxcept of course the chances are that Confucius’s beloved ancients weren’t anywhere near as discrete as he would have liked us to believe and were just as prone to making boastful claims and empty promises as we are today. Confucius said: “The ancients were reluctant to speak, fearing disgrace if their actions didn’t match their words.” ![]()
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