Last Sunday was Mother’s Day. So Saturday was a great day to spend undermining my wife’s ability as a mother with my words and actions…
You can imagine that when I sat down to write a card on Sunday morning, even though words normally flow from my pen quite freely, this time I couldn’t do it. Not because the words weren’t there, but because my words weren’t backed up with my actions.
What’s the point of me writing “You do such a great job at x,y,z…”, when just the day before, everything I did screamed “You’re doing it wrong, my way is better…”
John 8:17 says “In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true.” Why the testimony of two? Well, I can write or say whatever I want, but unless my wife bears witness to my words through my actions, that testimony is worthless. Until it is worked out and seen, it is purely words.
But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. – James 2:18
James is writing here about faith – but I believe this applies to love as well – our written or spoken expressions of love must be backed up by our actions. In fact, if our actions speak loud enough, we sometimes don’t even have to use words!
So here is the question I’m beginning to ask myself: How does she know? and the answer can’t be ‘because I say so’
- How does she know that she’s valued?
- How does she know that she is more important than my work?
- How does she know that I respect her words?
- How does she know that she is appreciated?
- How does she know that I trust her words/actions/judgement?
- How does she know that we’re on the same side?
- How does she know that she is loved?
And the list could go on… Food for thought? I certainly have plenty of chewing to do…