Counsels on Relationships

Counsel #22 — Actions are Louder

Picture: Counsel #22 — Actions are Louder CR 169.1

It’s easy to get caught up in words. Some people are smooth talkers who know just what to say to make you feel special, admired, and important. But don’t let sweet words distract you from reality: anyone can say the right thing, but their actions will always reveal who they really are.^[176] CR 169.2

The choices someone makes when no one’s watching is what matters. If their lifestyle doesn’t line up with their words, then the words don’t really mean much. Jesus even warned about people like this, saying that you’ll know them by their fruit, or by what their lives produce. Do they build others up or tear them down? Are they honest when it costs them something? Do they live with integrity or only act right when it benefits them? Words can flatter your ego, sure, but actions reveal the heart. So don’t fall for charm alone and pay close attention to the values they actually live out. That’s where you’ll see their true character, and whether they’re the kind of person you’d want to go through life with. CR 169.3

“By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” Matthew 7:16 NIV CR 169.4

“God’s law is the test of our actions. His eye sees every act, searches every chamber of the mind, detecting all lurking self-deception and all hypocrisy.” Ellen White in That I May Know Him, p. 290 CR 169.5

Reflect: Do your actions match your words? CR 169.6