day 355: Say Or Do

I've been reflecting on a situation where a peer said one thing and then did something else that was not what was said. And then, after saying one thing, the person comes back and says something else the next day. Nothing is more confusing and frustrating than when words and actions don't match up. The fastest way to lose confidence from someone else is to make them have to use their energy and emotion to figure out what you really mean. But, it happens all the time. We work with people who we know from experience who will shift their position, go back on what they said prior and many times just do something totally different than what they said they were going to do. Yet, we have to work with them because these "little" infractions or little untruths are never enough to get the attention of someone who would remove them from their position or the company. I wish I could put a pricetag on the amount of hours that are lost on dealing with these situations. It can take days to get to the bottom of "he said, she said". This is why as believers we have such a great opportunity to not be like the rest. We can live on the high ground and know that we breath the air of truth and let our actions shout way beyond our words. In 1 John 3:18 we are told to make our actions louder than our words: "Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions." Today we will all be faced with numerous moments when we can choose to let our words be the reflection of who we are, or let our actions be the reflection. If we say, but don't do, then the words are empty. If we say and do then the words were confirmation and reassurance that we can be counted on to deliver. In today's world to be someone who consistently does what you say makes you unique and remarkable. Keeping the words and the actions together today is a great way to work and end this work week!

Reference: 1 John 3:18 (New Living Testament)