Have you ever been around people who talk a good game, but don’t really put action behind their words? They say all the right things, but when it comes to carrying out those words in specific actions, behaviors, and decisions, they fall short.
I think we probably all do this to a certain extent, and this is honestly one of the reasons I am writing a blog about it. It’s human nature. BUT, and this a big BUT, just because something is human nature doesn’t mean we should validate it or keep doing it.
There comes a point where we must practice what we preach. We must put action behind our thoughts and words. If we don’t, these thoughts and words will remain simply that- thoughts and words that fail to produce any real fruit in our life.
To give you an example of what I mean, I’ll use the analogy of exercise. If you know me at all, you know exercise is a big part of who I am. Yes, I talk about it often, but I also DO it often. I stack the action with the thoughts and words and so the fruit I am wanting (physical fitness) is produced. If I only talked about exercise, but never actually did it, or only did it on occasion, my results (fruit) would be minimal.
I’ll give you another example. My husband, Lindsey Duncan, talks about fasting A LOT. If you know anything about him, you know this is one of the things he is extremely passionate about. Yes, he talks about it, but he also DOES it. He’s currently completing a 21-day water fast! Needless to say, the results he is achieving (the fruit) from this fast in regard to his health, are incredible. But it’s the same principle - if he only talked about fasting and did not stack action with his thoughts and words, essentially those thoughts and words would be dead.
Action is what brings thoughts and words to life and ultimately leads to transformation.
It's the same with our faith. So many of us say the words.
“Pray often.”
“Surrender it to God.”
“Turn that worry into a prayer.”
“Gods got this.”
We can say all the right things that believers should say, but these words won’t produce a bit of fruit unless we put them into the right action when the going gets tough. I believe our faith is an inner muscle, and just like a physical muscle, it must be exercised daily to grow in strength and power.
When the anxiety rises- this is the time, to flex that inner muscle. This is the time to activate your faith. When things don’t go as you expected, this is the time to stack the action with the thoughts and words. When life throws you deep adversity, this is the time to stop talking and start DOING.
So, what exactly does this look like? How do I activate my faith with the right action? How do I bring life to the thoughts and words I say?
You practice. Remember when our parents would tell us, “Practice makes perfect”? Well, they were onto something. We must practice activating our faith. We must exercise our inner muscle daily.
When the negative thought patterns come up and our minds begin to wander down that all too familiar rabbit trail of worry, rumination, and pessimism, this is the time we bring in the action.
WE STOP THE OLD AND DO SOMETHING NEW. (that’s in all caps for a reason- it’s critical for change!)
This action can look a lot of different ways. For example, you might need to say out loud, “I’m not allowing my mind to take over right now. This is a time I must trust God,” and then in your heart and in that moment, you must truly believe that. You may have to do the exact same thing an hour later if the negative thought comes up again- this is the exercise/practice part. Again, every time you stop the old and replace it with something new, you are building and strengthening that inner muscle. You are activating your faith within you… and you are producing fruit.
You may need to write things down in a journal, you may need to limit your time with certain people if they tend to feed the negativity, and you definitely will always need to spend as much time in God’s Word as possible. I believe when God sees us doing and taking action, rather than just talking, we get His attention more. Bottom line, our words of belief should cause us to make changes in our life and take proper action.
In closing, if you have wondered why you are not seeing the fruit produced in your life that you truly desire, want, and even need, ask yourself these questions, “How can I activate my faith more? How can I stack the right action with my thoughts and words? How can I strengthen my inner muscle? What do I need to do differently?”
The definition of insanity is doing/saying the same thing repeatedly but expecting a different outcome. Don’t let yourself get caught in this cycle. If you aren’t seeing the fruit, it’s time to exercise that inner muscle. You may be saying the right things but missing the right action.
Action activates faith. What action can you take today to activate your faith and draw you closer to God?