Faith Talk Help!
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS
Benjamin Franklin once said, "Well done is better than well said." What if our "well done" is "well said" though? This is what I mean: what if the actions we display are verbal in nature and they leave a good impression on our children. James warns of the danger of the tongue in James 3:2, 5–8 when he writes, "For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body...So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boast of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." The tongue is powerful, it can build up and tear down, encourage and discourage, bless and curse. So what does your tongue do? We all know the saying, and the true in it, "Actions speak louder than words." When we are faced with difficult and/or stressful situations, especially with our students around, how to we speak? How do we respond to the waitress when our order is not right? How do we respond to the official who "obviously missed the call"? How do we respond to our spouse when we don't feel heard? How do we respond when our "last straw" has been pulled or "buttons" are being poked? How do we respond when we are cut off in traffic? How do we respond when we spill our drink? How do we respond when our child spills his or her drink? How do we respond when we don't get our way or what we want? How do we respond when ________?
Here's the truth, our students are watching! Therefore, if they see mom, dad, or youth minister "blow up," "loose it," become overly frustrated, or quick tempted in these moments, it creates an imbalance in their cognition. They have been taught to handle these situations with the love of Jesus, but if they do not see this displayed and practiced, they will question how to operate in these situations themselves. My challenge to us all this week is to approach every situation will a little more grace, patience, compassion, and forgiveness. When something doesn't go our way, let's step back, and share Christ's love. When we do this, we have a greater opportunity to explain what faith in God through Jesus is all about.
How did Jesus handle stressful situations? Read John 19.
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