Actions Speak Louder Than Words
March 16, 2022
March 16, 2022
Have you ever felt like no one was listening to you, or worse, they are in the room; they can hear you but are focused on something else? Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation, and the other person leaves the room as you are speaking? These actions scream at us, telling us that they do not care about us or what we say in those moments.
I was on a zoom call the other day and was distracted by my phone. The other person felt like I was more invested in what I was doing on my phone than in them. This was a wake-up call for me, a reminder that if our words don’t match our actions, there is a disconnect.
So many things can be communicated through actions, yet when was the last time you considered how your actions contribute to your communication with God? In Genesis 35 Jacob and God are having a conversation, God renames Jacob Israel and then reveals one of His own names El Shaddai meaning God Almighty. It was a reminder not only to Jacob, but for the whole nation of Israel to come, that God is mightier than everything else. In response to this, Jacob had no words. Instead, he built an altar and poured olive oil over it as an offering to the Lord.
This morning as I read this it dawned on me how powerful our actions really are. Our physical actions either add to our communication or take away from it. If we are texting during prayer, what does that say to God or others? It brings new light to every motion. Whether it is kneeling, dancing, closing our eyes, or raising our hands to Him, each action has meaning to God. Do our actions match our words?
Our lives are filled with non-verbal communication. Our body language speaks volumes about our thoughts and feelings even if we are unaware of it at the time. If we see someone new and we tense up, whether it had anything to do with them or not, the person can pick up on it and not even approach us. However, if we seem welcoming, they may smile, and may even introduce themselves.
The challenge is we have become so used to not acknowledging these things we sometimes forget how much power is held in even a simple smile. We are caught up in thoughts about what we need to get done. We have drowned out intentionality with busyness. It may be time to exercise our muscles again and be more purposeful in our non-verbal communication. We may be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Personal Note: After reading this you may be thinking you must change everything at once. It is much too difficult to change everything at the same time. The best thing to do is be intentional in one thing. It may be putting your phone down during a conversation. It may be not leaving the room while someone is speaking to you. Whatever it is, once you have done this long enough that it has become a natural response, then change another. Eventually, you will come to a place where your actions match your words more often than not.
I was on a zoom call the other day and was distracted by my phone. The other person felt like I was more invested in what I was doing on my phone than in them. This was a wake-up call for me, a reminder that if our words don’t match our actions, there is a disconnect.
So many things can be communicated through actions, yet when was the last time you considered how your actions contribute to your communication with God? In Genesis 35 Jacob and God are having a conversation, God renames Jacob Israel and then reveals one of His own names El Shaddai meaning God Almighty. It was a reminder not only to Jacob, but for the whole nation of Israel to come, that God is mightier than everything else. In response to this, Jacob had no words. Instead, he built an altar and poured olive oil over it as an offering to the Lord.
This morning as I read this it dawned on me how powerful our actions really are. Our physical actions either add to our communication or take away from it. If we are texting during prayer, what does that say to God or others? It brings new light to every motion. Whether it is kneeling, dancing, closing our eyes, or raising our hands to Him, each action has meaning to God. Do our actions match our words?
Our lives are filled with non-verbal communication. Our body language speaks volumes about our thoughts and feelings even if we are unaware of it at the time. If we see someone new and we tense up, whether it had anything to do with them or not, the person can pick up on it and not even approach us. However, if we seem welcoming, they may smile, and may even introduce themselves.
The challenge is we have become so used to not acknowledging these things we sometimes forget how much power is held in even a simple smile. We are caught up in thoughts about what we need to get done. We have drowned out intentionality with busyness. It may be time to exercise our muscles again and be more purposeful in our non-verbal communication. We may be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Personal Note: After reading this you may be thinking you must change everything at once. It is much too difficult to change everything at the same time. The best thing to do is be intentional in one thing. It may be putting your phone down during a conversation. It may be not leaving the room while someone is speaking to you. Whatever it is, once you have done this long enough that it has become a natural response, then change another. Eventually, you will come to a place where your actions match your words more often than not.