Action, Not Just Words

Good morning and welcome to Our Daily Walk.

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A television commercial for a bank made a very powerful point. While taking a hike outdoors, a group of bankers encountered a patch of quicksand. One of the bankers began to sink in to the ground while the others organized and began to form committees and an action plan for how to deal with the problem. All this was going on while the poor fellow was sinking deeper into the quicksand. Then finally one of the bankers tossed a rope to his sinking friend and pulled him to safety. The catch phrase for that bank was, “Less talk. More action.”

It has been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And however good those intentions may be, until action is added, they are simply worthless. For the fellow being swallowed up by the quicksand, the best plan in the world was worthless to him until someone put the plan into action.

With dogs one might say that they are “all bark and no bite.” That means that they bark or talk a good threat but really won’t follow through with it.

In human terms we might hear someone say a person is “all talk and no action,” or “talking the talk, but not walking the walk.” And a common challenge to one boasting without action is, “put your money where your mouth is.” For the religious it might well be, “practice what you preach.” In other words, do something, don’t just talk about it.

My personal belief is that most people know right from wrong in life. And most people that believe in God also know how they should be acting in life. But having the intention to live right isn’t the same as actually doing what is right.

Notice what James has to say about the connection of faith and action in James 2:14-26.

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe — and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?

For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

The point that James is making is very simple. Actions are needed along with our faith. Otherwise, our faith is just empty words.

Friends, when we see someone that needs help we should act to help them and not just think about what we should do. Like a person who is hungry or naked, it is simply not sufficient to say to that person, “go eat some food and get some clothes.” It is in our power to do something more. Less talk. More action.

On Our Daily Walk today, may we determine not only to know the right things to do but to make good on our intentions to do them. May we always be an encouragement to others through our words, actions and lives.

Our thought for the day: “Actions, not words, are the true characteristic mark of the attachment of friends.” George Washington

May God bless you on your daily walk.

© Our Daily Walk, Mike Baker, 2007. Permission is granted to copy these articles provided they are not sold and the author's name and copyright are included.