Good intentions. Well-communicated thoughts. But what actions have we taken?
”Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.“ Matthew 7:20 NLT
Reflection
Matthew shares Jesus' words in this verse. The verses surrounding this concern good and bad trees and their ability to produce fruit. Fundamentally, Jesus tells us that a bad tree cannot produce good fruit, nor can a good tree produce bad fruit. Ultimately, we can identify people by their actions.
We might want to take a moment to reflect on ourselves and the actions we take in our daily lives or perhaps the actions we have taken in the past. If you observed yourself, what would you say about yourself? Are you a good tree or a bad tree?
We all have moments when we are not at our best. We say or do something that if we could turn the clock back, we would probably change. However, that isn’t how it works. It seems that every thing we do or do not do leads to a consequence. So, having a bad moment doesn’t really make us a bad person. It’s how many bad moments we have in reality or perhaps even our tendency. That might.
So now let’s talk about actions.
Do you know people who gossip about others? What about people who are willing to “bend the truth” or perhaps have that “nobody will notice” view? Maybe you and I are that person? After all, we know our intentions despite what our actions might look like. Also, is it a big deal?
The truth is that it is a big deal. Especially when nobody is watching or paying attention to what we do.
In the song “Slow Fade,” performed by Casting Crowns, we witness just how bad actions affect outcomes. They start very small, and over time, the sum of all of it leads to a very bad outcome. Failed marriages. Financial ruin. Lost friendships.
As I reflect on my actions, the idea of our free will has come to mind—that precious gift that God gave us—the ability to decide what’s next in whatever it is we are doing. That, plus how we act or react, often tells the tale of our current moment.
Everything has a consequence. Adam bites the apple Eve gives him, and that sets the course for humanity. Free will at work. Joseph does not decide to lay with Potiphar's wife, and he gets thrown into a dungeon. Matthew gave up tax collecting and became one of the famous gospel writers. Noah builds an ark and saves mankind.
There are plenty of opportunities to take action or react to what is happening in our world. As sinners, we have to be real with ourselves. We have to be fully accountable for the consequences of our actions no matter what. I don’t think it is okay to let people off the hook because they can’t help themselves. At least not if they dont' seem to want to change or hold themselves accountable.
Let me explain. I’ve been at dinners with some people who are terrible to the person serving us. No thought that the individual who chose that job was doing it for a reason, and while they might make a mistake or perhaps aren’t very good at what they are doing, we still need to treat them as a child of God’s. Unfortunately, that isn’t how people can be. Too often, we believe we are entitled to something from another, and if they don’t do what we expect of them, we share our view often without regard to that other person. For me, my reaction to drivers is not very God-centered. What about you?
Think about that. How would you want to be treated? Do you have a story that led you to your today? How do you feel when you encounter people who treat you unwell? Maybe judge you in a way you can't identify with or understand?
Stick with me and read this next thing to experience what learning more might feel like.
Early on a Sunday morning, a father and his three children enter a subway. You are sitting there, having been enjoying the ride, reading the Sunday paper.
You notice these folks and go about what you are doing. The children are loud and running up and down the car. Stop after stop, this happens. You notice the father is just sitting there. Just sitting there. Hands in his face, doing nothing about this annoying behavior. It goes on for what seems too long, and you can’t stand it any longer. You go to the father and say.
“Sir. What the heck is going on here? Can’t you see that your children have ruined the experience in this car? It was nice and quite. I was enjoying my morning until you and those three came in here! What kind of parent are you? How is it that you can’t control those three? Besides, who acts like that?”
The father looks up at you, and you can tell his eyes are bloodshot. He looks despondent. You start to feel something, but you aren’t sure what it is. He begins to speak.
“I am truly sorry for this. We just came from the hospital and their mother has passed away after battling cancer for the past few years. I don’t think they know how to process it. I don’t know how I will get through it without her. I am so very sorry about intruding on your situation.”
If you didn’t have a paradigm shift, you should have. That’s the point. We don’t know the other story, and while we might not want to, we do have to give some grace to others.
Plenty of times, we are confronted by our temptation to make it about us. We allow things to get the better of us. We freely choose to act a certain way or react a certain way. How we do that sort of reflects just how connected and centered on God we are. Some like to do the WWJD (What would Jesus Do) thing. That is a nice slogan and a good reminder. It is a tool to stop and think. Maybe center on God and invite Him into your moment. Not such a bad idea. Right?
As Christians, we are encouraged to turn the other cheek. Jesus gave us that advice. He is teaching us that we have to freely rise above those things that might be taking others away from God. We should not turn towards them, as we, too, would be turning away from God. We are turning away from an action that isn’t God-centered and living in a more God-centered way.
Our actions speak so much louder than words. Maybe it’s time we checked on ourselves and dug deeper into how we do what we do. Invite God to your moments. Let the Holy Spirit guide you. Get more centered and connected to our Heavenly Father. Our world needs more of us like that.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you know us better than we know ourselves. Guide us to understand where we need to improve. Guide us to be accountable for our actions and how we speak of others, how we serve others around us. Father, motivate Your Spirit inside of us to be so clear that it would be hard for us to miss what your recommendation is. Thank you for our free will and for allowing us to live the life you have given us. Let us know that while we do have more time here, we can make it between now and when the best time of our lives. Please keep us, our families, and our friends healthy, joyful, and safe. In the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior, we pray. Amen.
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