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YOUR WORDS BELIE YOUR ACTION
Marian Baltazar
Class of 1980, University of the Philippines College of Manila
AB Political Science
There have been a lot of times when your words belie your action. We say a lot of things that we really don’t
mean. We go through a lot of actions that doesn’t go with what comes out of our mouth. We therefore have
some or several actions that do not really match the words that we say.Even when we know pretty well that
our spoken words are one of the most powerful means of communication.
There has always been a time or some ways when a person’s actions fail to match his words. Yes, we often hear
people say one thing but their words belie their action. In our spiritual life, this can even hold true. We can
hear sermons from pastors, deacons and preachers but in some time or the other, they do not really “walk
what they talk”. This can mean hypocrisy which is offensive to God. A person can hide their deception from
their fellow men but will inevitably fail to hide it from God.
This is what you call deception, when people’s words do not jive their actions. It is clearly deceiving the people
around you and who you talk to. Well I guess if our actions do not really support our words, then it would be
better not to speak at all. What is inside the heart comes out of his mouth and what comes out of the heart of
a man determines what kind of a man he is. So when he acts differently and does not really show what he
meant with what he said, then it he is deceiving everyone.
How many times have we deceived people through our actions? Until when are we going to lie as we go
through our daily life and not really mean what we say? As we continue to let others believe what we are not,
we also continue to deceive them. I do not think this will do us any good since I firmly believe that it pays to be
honest. Definitely, I wouldn’t want to be branded as a hypocrite, trying to hide the real you inside for they it is
not what they that they really get to know.
We can always fool other people by making them believe with the words that come out of our mouth. Neither
can we fool ourselves with what we say but it doesn’t show in our actions. For no matter how hard we try to
speak what we are not, it will eventually show in our actions. We cannot put on a façade for the rest of our life
and we can never deceive others all the time. As the saying goes, “ Watch your thoughts, for they become
words; Watch your words because they become actions ; Watch your actions, for they become habits; Watch
your habits, for they become character; Watch you character, for it becomes your destiny.”
We should make it a habit to speak from the heart and not to speak of who we are not. At the end of the day,
when your words always belie your action, no one will ever believe what you say, then and only then will you
realize that you have lost your integrity.
Questions for discussion:
1. Do you always show in your actions whatever you say? How?
2. Would you like to be called a hypocrite rather than an honest person? Why not?
3. Do you believe in the saying, “Action speaks louder than words?” Explain your answer.
4. Do your actions always fail to express what you truly feel? Why or why not?
5. Give examples of instances in your life when your words belied your action.