Ben Franklin was famous for his short, but deep observations. I came across one of them a few days ago that I thought worth sharing with you. “Well done is better than well said.” About ninety years later, Abe Lincoln used a phase in a speech that is perhaps more familiar to us today, “Actions speak louder than words.” Both of those quotes should lead us to pay more attention to what someone does than to what they say and make us aware that our actions are very important.
How does that apply to us as Christians? Our salvation does not come from our actions. It comes from God’s actions in the form of Jesus. He bore our sins on the cross to show us how much God loves us. He then presents His sacrifice to us as a gift of love. The only actions we need to take are to accept that gift, repent and follow Jesus. John 3:16 makes that very clear. “For this is how much God loved the world: He gave his one and only son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” God doesn’t just tell me He loves me; He proves it to me beyond any doubt by His actions every day.
It is after we become a follower of Christ and a child of God that our actions matter more than our words. “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?” (James 2:14) “Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” (1 John 3:18) It is through our actions that we demonstrate to the world around us the change that takes place when we are born of the Spirit and a follower of Christ. There are people we don’t even know who are watching us to see if our faith and our love are real, by the way we live.
When I first read the quote from Ben Franklin, this scripture came to mind. “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”’ (Matthew 25:23) I long to hear those words; “Well done!” from my Lord when my tour of duty on Earth is completed, don’t you?
The only place in scripture that I can find the phrase, “Well said” is when the teachers of the Law complimented Jesus. I cherish every red word in my Bible, but when I look up at the moon and stars in the night sky and contemplate all of the creation He spoke into existence, I lift my eyes to the sky and proclaim, “Well said, Lord!”
I have found an exception to actions over words. If your physical and financial limitations leave you with only words to offer, like me; then God will transform your words into acts of love and kindness. My words have become my actions; long phone conversations with friends to cheer and encourage them; prayers for the needs of others; even reaching out to the readers of my blog with love and encouragement. I am doing all that I’m able to do and, like the widow described in Luke 21:1-3 who gave what little she had, that is all that God requires of us. I know He will continue to provide me with ways to serve Him by serving others and will continue to bless my efforts in countless ways.