Actions Speak Louder Than Words

I've always wondered why 'Nice' biscuits are called 'Nice'.

 

Apparently they were originally made in the French city of Nice, and were called 'Fait a Nice' biscuits.  However, this name was considered too long and so it was shortened to 'Nice'.

 

I think it would be really helpful if all food was labelled in the same way.  You would know before giving it a go whether or not it would be tasty.  Sprouts, for example, could be labelled 'inedible' and save us all a lot of time.

 

I sometimes think it would be helpful if situations or events in life, or jobs, or people had similar labels, too.  It would be clear whether or not to apply for a job or who to trust.  You could easily sort out the 'good' and the 'bad' in life.

 

But, unfortunately life doesn't come with labels. 

 

The Bible says that the only real way that we can tell what people are like is by looking at their actions.  Our actions are our labels. 

 

"Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions."

 

[Matthew 7:20 NLT] 

 

Our actions are the 'fruit' in our lives, the things by which we can be identified.  Our actions are the things that people will remember.  They will last longer in the minds of others than the things we say.

Actions speak louder than words. 

 

What are you saying?

 

 

 

The Real Deal

I haven't had much of an appetite over the past few days.  I have had a bit of a stomach bug and haven't felt much like eating.  And when I have eaten, it has been predominantly carbohydrate-based.

 

I have had very little fruit or veg over the last few days; in fact, my Vitamin intake today has consisted of a Vitamin C fizzy tablet in water.

 

I'm sure it's still good for me, but it can't be as good as eating actual fruit and veg and getting the vitamins and minerals that way.

 

In the same way, I think I sometimes skimp on my 'spiritual food': I make do with supplements and 'tablets'.  I listen to talks and worship songs and I read books and blogs and all of these things are good.  But they're not the same as spending time with God myself.  They don't have the same 'nutritional value'.

 

If we want to know what God is like, if we want a relationship with Him, if we want to grow and change and become more like Him, we need to see Him.  And we need to spend time with Him.

 

And we do that through Jesus, who came to show us what God Himself is like:

"God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful."

 

[2 Corinthians 4:6 MSG] 

 

Sometimes it's much easier and cheaper to pop a pill, rather than buying and preparing actual fruit and veg, but it's never as good.  It's not the real deal.  It's not as good for our bodies, or for our health.  And in the same way, spending time reading or singing or writing or talking about God is never as good as spending time with God.