Ever heard the saying “talk the talk and walk the walk?” I bet you know someone who is very good at making promises, but doesn’t follow through. You probably have let someone else down at some point as well. Empty words and disappointment can eat away at the receiver, while the one who made the promise is off doing whatever they please. I, for one, absolutely can’t stand being lied to. I don’t care for fake people and “putting on shows” either.
I don’t believe that everything is butterflies and glitter. I believe in what is real. I believe honesty and truth is the best way to go. They say the pen is mightier than the sword, but which one really has a larger impact?
“People will forget what you SAID, people will forget what you DID, but people will never forget how you made them FEEL.”
-Maya Angelou
Hey, words do hurt. I won’t deny that. Actions hurt too. If you got sliced with a sword, it will definitely hurt. Being called names leaves an impression on you for a lifetime. The real problem is though how both scenarios made you feel.
It’s quite ironic for me to sit at my laptop and write that actions can impact as equally or even more so than words. The irony is not lost on me.
This particular prompt has been on my mind since the summer, and I have just been waiting for time to sit down and write out my thoughts. School has kept me busy and I failed at getting this published when I wanted to.
The action of sitting down to write, and planning out what I wanted to say is far more effective than just saying something impulsive. Or making promises on the fly and never following through. Those aren’t worth much either. Life gets busy, and sometimes you have to go with the flow. If someone wants to see you, then they will make time. Trust me. No one can be too busy for the ones they care about.
However, I do know someone who has never lied to me. Or betrayed me. I bet you can guess who.
God has always had my back. He has never told me a lie. He has never broken a promise.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
-Proverbs 3:5-6
I believe actions speak louder than words. It is one thing to say something, but to follow through on those words? That is something else entirely. Words and actions together make a powerful combination. If you mess up, apologize and make an effort with your actions to show that you mean what you say.
God follows through on His promises. Do you? You won’t be perfect. You will mess up. But if you tell someone you’re sorry, and then go and do it all over again, did you truly mean it? I have been guilty of this. I’m not scared to admit it.
We do this to God all the time. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry! I’ll never do this again.” And then next week, or month, you’re right back to where you started.
Ask for help to turn from your mistakes. Don’t make promises you can’t keep. You hate when people lie to you, so why would you do that to someone else? Why would you do that to God?
Show up for the people who you say matter in your life. And if they don’t mean that much to you, then don’t promise them anything in the first place. Honesty can hurt, but broken promises hurt way worse.
The biggest lesson though? If you make a mistake, if you don’t follow through, if you break your promise? Own up to it. Take responsibility and don’t make excuses.
Words are great, but the real punch comes with how you illustrate those words with your actions. A picture book with only words is boring and lacks luster. A novel with dull words that invokes no feeling has not followed through with its delivery. Both leave you hanging with disappointment. Plans are great, but when will you start the building? Cities weren’t built without the initial idea, but those ideas weren’t implemented until after action was taken.
Wolves in sheeps’ clothing are still the bad guys in the story. Sugarcoating only makes you end up overweight and in tears because the reality is so much worse, especially when you expected something sweet.
I could go on and on with more examples. I could tell you about the time a best friend lied to me, or about how a boy went back on a promise, but I won’t. We all have felt that crushing disappointment when a person you thought had your back, left you crying or brooding into your pillow. I even feel betrayed when the writer of a TV Show keeps killing off my favorite characters (ahem, @Shonda Rhimes).
Whenever this happens, I know where I can turn. It’s an open line 24/7. God always answers for me, and He will answer for you too. The trick is being silent and patient enough for an answer.
Mirror, Mirror 