We’ve all heard that “What we do speaks so loudly, others can’t hear what we say.” It reminds us to make sure our actions match our words. If they don’t, people will not respect us and our words will fall on deaf ears. In Matthew 23, “Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach.” A classic example of this is when we say we should love one another but fail to actually do it. Dr. John Piper helps us this way. He says, “When you love each other with love that is more than just talk . . . you will experience a deep and unshakable confidence before God. Much talk of love with few deeds destroys assurance. But if we put our money where our mouth is, or put our time where our tongue is, then we will have a deep sense of the reality of our own faith and will feel confident for the day of judgment, because then we are acting the way Jesus acted.” So when we talk of love and it is coupled with our actions, we benefit others and we honor God whom we claim to know.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr.
Dr. Melvin E. Banks, Sr. is the founder and chairman of UMI (Urban Ministries, Inc.). Under his direction, UMI has grown to be a leading publisher of Christian education resources for churches in the African American community. Read More
