The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.

Psalm 9:16

There is an old indian saying that goes something like this: “Live your life as if you could not speak.” Today we say “Actions speak louder than words.” And Jesus said that hypocrites drew near him with their lips, but their heart was far from him.

All this comes together to say that people know us less by what we say, and more by what we do. We can talk and talk and talk, but in the end it is our actions, decisions, and work that speaks for us.

This is even true of how we think of God. Even though we have God’s words right in front of us in his Bible, when we think of who God is we often think of what he has done for us and how he has treated us. We think of his mercy, his grace, his longsuffering, his compassion and his love. Not simply because that’s what he says he is, but because that is what we have seen him to be in our lives.

One of the reasons our actions don’t always follow our words is because the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Peter was very sincere when he told Christ he would never deny him, yet when the time came for him to act, he crumbled. Many times we are sincere in saying a thing, but the action is difficult to carry through.

No matter how difficult, though, we must realize that our actions are what we will be judged for when we reach the judgment seat of Christ. Yes, every idle word will come into judgment, but ultimately we will receive rewards, or not, based on “the things done in the body.”

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
2. Cor. 5:10

Christ himself, once again, gave us the example to follow in this. In Gethsemane, his flesh did not want to go through with what he had been prophesying for his whole life. But, thank God, he did not follow his flesh. He prayed, and prayed hard! He told God the Father that his flesh did not want to, but that he wanted his Father’s will to be done. He put down his own will and took up God’s.

With God’s help, through much prayer, we can tell God we want our actions to be what he wants them to be, and we can ask him to give us the strength to do it.