Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
Proverb 20:11 ESV
One night a clergy man was walking to church when a thief pulled a gun on him and demanded his money or his life. When he reached in his pocket to hand over his wallets, the robber saw his clerical collar and said: "I see you are a priest. Never mind. You can go." The clergyman, surprised by the robber's unexpected act of piety. Offered him a candy bar. The robber said, "No thank you. I don't eat candy during Lent."
The man had given up candy as a supposed sacrifice for Lent, but his lifestyle of stealing showed his real character! According to the writer of proverbs, conduct is the best indicator of character. If someone says he is a godly person, his words can only be proven by consistent actions (20:11). This was true of the religious leaders in Jesus day as well. He condemned the Pharisees and exposed their shame for professing godliness but denying that professions with sin their lives (Matt 23:13-36). Appearances and words are deceiving: behavior is the best judges of Character. This applies to all of us.
As follower of Jesus, we demonstrate our love for Him by what we do, not just by what we say: May our devotion to God, because of his love for us, be revealed in our actions today.
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