How good are we at “walking our talk?”

For starters, what does it mean to “walk your talk”? The idea involved in that phrase is that we are people of our word and live out our belief system. Whether we want to admit it or not, the lives we live on a daily basis reflect our core value systems. For example, if we claim to be Christians, then our lives will reflect Christian values at home, in our neighborhoods, in the workplace, and at school. People will notice if we respect others, if we obey speed limits, if we clean up after ourselves instead of leaving our messes for others, if we are kind to people with whom we interact every day, if we are willing to give of our time and money, and if we honor God with our speech. Do we claim that we believe in Jesus and sometimes make other claims with our actions? This is the point when we talk about “walking our talk.”

In Matthew 11:19, Jesus concludes an illustration by saying “wisdom is proved right by her actions.” The illustration Jesus was making in the preceding verses was that “so called” religious people were looking at things that were from God and yet refusing to acknowledge that very fact. These people claimed to be religious yet their lives and actions said something different by their refusal to see God when he was so plainly before them. Jesus’ point was that the final proof of a person’s life or message being godly is found in the way that the message is lived out in the context of God’s love and mercy. In other words, by “walking your talk.” If we are true believers, then God’s wisdom in our hearts and lives will surface as we honor and glorify Him by the choices we make every day and the actions that follow.

Let’s be an encouragement to one another as we live by His words and example.

Doug