Letting Actions Speak

Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Matthew 5:16

I had vastly underestimated the distance from our vacation condo to the small café up the road. I had convinced my international friend that it was just a quick walk, but instead we found ourselves walking along the roadside with a lot of unexpected time for contemplative conversation as we plodded along.

As we walked, we spoke about life. She is from another culture and was in the US for only a few short years. I’d become an informal cultural mentor as she navigated life in this country, and Aaron and I had made an intentional decision to welcome her into all parts of our life for those precious few years.

After finally reaching our destination and picking up some baked goods, we headed back. My friend turned to me and said, “I’m starting to think that people of faith are particularly kind.”

I stumbled mentally, fumbling for words. Finally I said, “Well, we aren’t always kind, because no one is perfect, but we try. . . . I try.”

Early in our acquaintance, I learned that my friend had preconceived notions about Jesus, God, and faith in general, likely due to how religion is perceived in her culture. While I’d never hidden my faith from her, I’d always tried to be respectful in our conversations and not push Jesus on her. Instead, I invited her to live alongside me, to see the manifestation of Christ in my life and in my family. I trusted God to guide our conversations and was content to reveal my faith and my Savior through my actions and my life.

It’s true that others often recognize our faith, whether they realize it or not, by our actions. If we are living as Jesus calls us to live, our actions and responses to those around us will shine, drawing them close and making them ask what we have in our lives that they do not. God’s glory is often revealed more clearly in the actions of his disciples than through mere words.

—Julie

— Today’s Act of Kindness —

Practice making sure that your actions, not just your words, reveal God’s glory.

From the book