Yesterday we determined that because our actions flow from our beliefs, and beliefs are formed by thoughts, that thinking-biblically was of the highest priority. This does not diminish the importance of behaving biblically, however. It is through our actions that we prove what we believe. Jesus said, “You will recognize them by their fruit” (Matthew 7.16). In context, Jesus is telling the disciples how to recognize dangerous people who try to influence the people of God. The point being made is that we need to do more than listen to what people profess, we need to pay attention to what they do.

The same can be said of our own lives. In the context just before the famous “fruit” passage Jesus tells us to be careful about judging others. He tells us to first take the plank out of our own eye before trying to remove the splinter from another’s. The two ideas are linked, that we ought to examine our own actions and those of others. By examining our own actions we can uncover two truths.

The first startling discovery is what we believe. Humans are masters of fooling themselves; no one wants to peer into the dark, scary corners of the heart. By examining our responses to pressure (at work, in relationships, regarding our finances, etc) we can determine what belief caused us to behave the way we did. For example, examine your budget. Is there a line item for tithing? This will reveal if you are really interested in giving God the best or if you give him the leftovers to assuage your guilt. If you regularly spend your earnings on a non-essential activity than you do on God, then you have to question which one means more to you. This isn’t a guilt trip article, but sometimes pointed truth can have that effect.

The second truth we can discover is that how we act can bring success or failure in our relationship with God. Let’s take one of the common problems our culture as as an illustration, the sin of lust. I’m sure you’ve heard that there are two ways to respond to temptation, fight or flight. There is a third response, however, that is rarely considered in church circles: feeding. We subscribe to online newsletters, or buy calendars or magazines, or read certain types of fiction – nothing that anyone would consider overtly wrong or sinful, but they feed our desire and later wonder how we can conquer this sin that seems to have such a strong hold on us. As I mentioned earlier, it is easy to fool ourselves. We might be buying that car magazine because we have a real interest in hotrods, but do we browse the aisle to see which magazine has the hottest model on the cover?

Introspection is an art, an art made easier by keeping a journal. When you can look back over the year and see what you were doing in your life when your relationship with God seemed stale or distant, it helps identify those activities that keep us from a right relationship. The second best option is to live intentionally. Don’t simply react to situations and move on, identify every challenge and make a mental note of how you responded. Later, evaluate the impact this had on your time with the Lord. Barring these two practices, or perhaps in addition to, ask your spouse or best friend to help identify your weaknesses and consider their controlling influence. You might be surprised at their insight, and their honesty.

Actions may not be as important as our beliefs, but since actions spring from our beliefs they do, as they saying goes, speak louder than our words. Part of growing in our relationship with God is bringing our beliefs and our actions into alignment. Start paying attention to this and I guarantee your time with God will be far more satisfying.