Most of us are familiar with the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” This is a true saying and something that we need to reflect on in our daily lives.
Although this saying is not in the Bible, it is in agreement with the Bible. As James tells us, we cannot only read the Bible; we have to also do what it says (James 1:22-25). In this way, we can see that our actions speak louder than our words.
Just as James says that we need to do what the Bible says rather than to just read it, we also need to convey in our actions what our words say. Words don’t mean as much if our actions fail to show them to be true.
If we claim we love someone, yet we are mean to them, put them down, and speak badly of them, then we are not really showing them love. Instead, we are claiming we love them while our actions are doing the exact opposite.
As Christians, we can see how this can get dangerous. We need to always ensure that our actions and our words are in alignment with each other. In other words, we don’t need to say one thing and do the exact opposite.
This is true for our dealings with loved ones, acquaintances, people we don’t know, and God. In everything we do, we need to make sure our words and actions are in agreement with each other.
With this being said, there are also times when our actions speak louder than words. This can be seen as both a good thing and a bad thing, depending on the context.
If your actions are speaking louder than your words in a good way, then it is going to be something positive in your life. However, if your actions are speaking louder than your words in a negative way, then it is going to be a negative thing in your life.
As we look at these things, we can see that your actions speaking louder than your words may or may not be a good thing.
Depending on the circumstances and the situation, you should be able to tell if it is a good thing or a bad thing. As Christians, we need to always strive that our actions speak louder than our words in a good way. Here are five ways your actions are speaking louder than your words.
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1. In Apologies
One way your actions speak louder than your words is in your apologies. Anybody can say, “I’m sorry,” but your actions are what determines if you actually mean it.
Saying, “I’m sorry” does not prove anything. Many of us are taught to say “I’m sorry” from the time we are children, even if we don’t mean it at all. This is something we need to change because we should not be saying we are sorry if we don’t actually mean it.
If we are truly sorry, we will show it in our actions. As an example, maybe a man was unfaithful to his wife. He couldn’t just come up to her and say he was sorry.
Apologizing is appreciated, but it doesn’t really help in his case. Instead, he has to show in his actions how sorry he is. He should still apologize; however, he also has to show it in his actions.
He can do this by being extra caring with his wife, taking any steps she needs to heal, and going to couples therapy if this is something she wants to do. He also has to be willing to step aside and accept her decision to end the marriage.
While this would be painful for both of them, he has to respect her decision and continue to show in his actions how sorry he is, even after the divorce.
It could be that if he showed in his actions how much he loves his wife and is sorry for what he had done, she will be able to forgive him, and they will be able to continue to work on the healing process together.
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2. Being There for Others
A second way your actions speak louder than your words is when you are there for someone. After we have gone through a difficult time, we often need someone to be there for us.
We can say all day that we would be there for someone, but when the time would actually come, would we really be there? I had many friends who said they would be there for me no matter what, only to have no source of support in my early days of eating disorder recovery.
As you can see, their words and actions did not match. Through their actions, I was hearing the message that I didn’t matter to them. Maybe you have also been through the same thing, and it really hurts you.
Know that your feelings are valid even if other people have invalidated them in the past. It was wrong of your friends not to be there when you needed them and as you can see, their actions spoke louder than their words.
This is why we need to ensure our actions are speaking louder than our words in a good way. Being there for others can be difficult, but if we truly love them, we should not see them as an inconvenience. I saw myself as an inconvenience because of how my friends treated me.
We need to ensure that we never make anyone feel bad about themselves through our actions. This is what happens when our actions hurt others. People pay attention to what you do — not just what you say.
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3. In Your Faith
A third way your actions speak louder than your words is in your faith. The Apostle Paul tells us, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18).
As the Apostle John tells us, we do not need to love only with words but in action and in truth. This applies to all areas of our lives, including in our faith. We cannot claim to be a follower of God if we are denying Him in our actions.
We have to listen to what the Bible says and obey it. It is of no benefit if we do not follow what the Bible says.
If our actions are speaking louder than our words, then we should be showing in our lives our love for Christ rather than only occasionally saying we are Christians.
Individuals should know we are Christians based on our actions. Following Jesus means loving others, respecting them, and extending forgiveness to them.
Through all these things, we will be able to ensure our actions speak louder than our words. We would not be known as followers of Christ just by proclaiming ourselves to be Christians in the New Testament times.
Rather, the Lord tells us by their fruit we will recognize them (Matthew 7:16). If we take our faith in Jesus seriously, it will show in our daily lives. However, if we choose to not take our faith seriously, we will be giving a bad name to our Savior and Lord.
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4. Listening to Others
A fourth way your actions speak louder than your words is in your listening skills. If you are truly listening to others, you will respect what they say.
On the other hand, if you only say you are listening to others, but deny it in your actions, your negative actions will be conveyed in your dealings with others.
People are quick to notice if you are not truly listening to them. If a loved one kindly asks you to be respectful of their space and you claim to say you will, yet later invade their personal space, you are not really listening to them.
In the same way, if a wife tells her husband she feels she is not being heard, he needs to start paying attention to what she is saying.
His wife is saying she is not feeling heard because her husband is not displaying in his actions what she has spoken to him about.
As we can see, yet again, it is important that our actions speak louder than our words because they can easily go in the opposite direction.
Listening to others is a good way to show that you are truly taking time out of your day to be present with your loved ones. Don’t only listen to them — fully engage yourself in what they are saying and allow your actions to reflect what you listened to.
If your loved one asked you to give them a drive home from work, do this. In the same way, if your loved one asked you to pick up some medicine from the pharmacy, you will show in your actions you were listening when you returned home with the medicine.
All of these things cause our actions to be louder than our words. We just have to make sure they are louder than our words in a good way.
Never allow your actions to speak louder than your words in a negative way because it can really hurt people in your life. Invest in spending time with your loved ones and truly listen to them.
By listening to them, it will shape your actions in a way that you can fully show them you love them.
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5. Serving God
A fifth way your actions speak louder than your words is in the way you serve God. If we claim to be serving God, we must prove it in our actions.
Anybody could say they are a follower of God, but their actions are what will truly tell us if they are serious about serving God.
Living for God is not a one-time thing. Rather, it is an everyday life decision. If we are truly focused on serving God, we will show it in our actions.
If you want your actions to be louder than your words in your service to God, you have to obey God’s teachings in the Bible. They should become part of your life and it will not be a burden if you are genuine in the way you want to serve God.
The Lord tells us to not lie, cheat, steal, or endorse sin. We cannot say we are truly living in a way for our actions to speak louder than our words if we are doing these very things.
Living for God will be shown in your actions if you are genuinely wanting to serve Him. Don’t only claim to serve God — make sure you are actually serving Him.
You will have a much better life if you choose to serve God with your life rather than just claiming to know Him in your words.
Your actions will speak louder than your words if you are faithfully living in accordance with God's Word. God will take notice of this and He will be pleased with your actions.
Obey His teachings, such as the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). This can be a challenging subject for many, yet it is something Jesus calls us to do.
Concerning missions, we can only serve Him by either going ourselves, sending others, or donating to mission organizations.
God wants us to be involved with missions because it involves helping the lost come to know Him. You can demonstrate in your actions that you are truly serving God by obeying all aspects of His teachings, including the hard ones.
Your actions always speak louder than your words, and this is why we need to ensure that our actions are speaking louder than our words in a positive way.
For further reading:
Do Actions Really Speak Louder Than Words?
Do Our Words Have Creative Power?
How to Remember That Words Do Hurt
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Originally published Tuesday, 02 January 2024.