Trust Bank - February 21
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 106:1-18; PM Psalm 106:19-48; Prov. 3:11-20; 1 John 3:18-4:6; John 11:17-29
“Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action”. - 1 John 3:18
Words only carry so much weight. One of the images of relationships is building up a bank of credibility. If I were to tell you I was going to do something, and then I do it, I build trust. Over time, that bank has an abundance of trust and if something comes up and I feel I cannot meet an obligation, if I have enough credit, it doesn’t damage the relationship for me to not follow through.
But if I don’t follow through a few times in a row, if I begin to make promises I can’t keep, soon the trust bank will be empty, and our relationship will change. This exposes a fundamental truth about relationships – actions are more powerful than words.
When we think about faith, it’s easy to put a lot of emphasis on words. We read Holy Scripture. We listen to a sermon. We offer prayers uttered from our lips. This is certainly a part of our faith, and these simple actions are so important. But as I think about our scripture appointed for today from the Epistle, John the Evangelist, writes, “Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” He reminds us of the power of action.
I’d argue it is even more important to open our hands and to let the bread be pushed against our palms as we receive God’s gift of love, grace, and presence in bread and wine. And then we take our lives and live into God’s vision of reconciliation. How can we show up in love, truth, and action in the daily way we live our lives?
John+
Questions for Self-Reflection: What actions are more important to you than words? When have you run through the trust bank and your words fallen empty? What actions were helpful in restoring trust and confidence?
Daily Challenge: Find one action you can do to love others where you typically would have used words. I’d love to know if you are willing to share.