Actions Speak
What do your actions say about your thoughts?
Verse of the Day
“I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”
Today’s Devotional
I have heard many times that we behave how we think, or that we behave according to what we actually believe. I have questioned that. There are times when I force myself to behave in a way contrary to how I feel, which I think is a very valuable thing to practice, since emotions are so fickle.
Today’s verse seems to confirm what I have heard, since these words of God from the book of Jeremiah imply that our conduct shows God (and others) what is in our hearts and minds. Not that God can’t see into our hearts and minds, because He can. But if there is evidence of what we think and believe, it is our actions.
I don’t know about you, but this gives me pause. What are my actions? And what do those actions mean about my thinking and the condition of my heart?
My actions sometimes show that I think my worth is determined by what I accomplish. My actions sometimes show that I think I need to control things. My actions sometimes show that I think comfort is more important than obedience. And then there are times when my actions show that I think that serving others is a tangible way to express my gratitude to God.
I’ve been really wrestling with my thoughts this week. Writing has been hard. I haven’t had any words. Yet I have this sense that God is moving and working within me. I feel like He is inviting me to trust Him and to believe what His Word says about my thinking. Yesterday, I had a tangible reminder of God’s goodness and kindness is something that happened to one of my kids. It was more powerful than if it had happened to me. I was so moved and touched by God’s kindness shown through one of His people. It was as if God was saying to me, “See? I am moving and working all over the place. I love your kids more than you do. Trust me.”
So today, I am choosing to trust God in the process of transforming my thinking. I am asking for help with my actions, so that what is in my heart and mind will be evident in what I do. I am inviting the Spirit to guide my thinking, and asking for help to get out of my own way – even inside my own mind.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
What do your actions say about your thinking?
What actions tell you your thinking might need to be renewed in a certain area?
How can you invite the Spirit into your mind today to direct your thinking?
How can you be of service to another human today?