“Who you are defines what you do” and “what you do defines who you are”… These two points were both presented in honors class today and I have thought about them off and on throughout the day… I believe who we are ought to define what we do. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ then you ought to live your life differently then someone who does not follow Jesus Christ. If you are a white collar worker here in the states you will work different, talk different, and live different than a poor peasant in Haiti. It is who you are that dictates how you act and respond to things. However, what you do can also define you. Like Rachel was saying if you ride a bike then people will consider you to be a bike rider. If you are a follower of Jesus Christ then people will call you a Christian. If you like reading you are considered a book worm. We have all heard the saying actions speak louder than words. So saying you’re a believer is great, but if you do not live your life as a follower of Jesus Christ things will not line up, in which case what you do will define you more than who you say you are because the two are not lining up (in other words you are a hypocrite). So let what you do line up with who you say you are.
PS - Jamie
PS -
I agree Joy, there has to be a balance between what is inside us and what we do and where we live. There's a reason why Jesus taught against salvation through works but also said that faith without works is dead. There must a balance that worships neither salvation itself or works but the Christ Himself. Where live cannot define us, for we are called to rise above our circumstances. Who we are cannot define us, for we were meant to be conformed unto the image of Christ. What we do cannot define us, or else our mistakes and victory would be in constant conflict and grace would be pointless. To quote Louie Giglio, "I am not but I know I AM!"
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Joy as well. If you claim to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then your actions should show that you are through how you live your life; and that is different from the world. However I seem to wonder if, like Rachel said, if you ride a bike than people assume you to be a bike rider, does that go along with stereotypes? If you live in Alabama then people assume you be a redneck? This may be totally irrelevant but this thought came to me so i figured i would ask.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you, Joy. If we are followers of Christ, that fact about ourselves should define everything we do. However, on the other hand, other people can only know us by our actions, therefore, in some ways, what we do defines us as well. For example, if a person is really nice most of the time, but on the day I meet him, he is having a bad day and comes across differently, I may always think of him as something completely different. I guess it really is important to "be yourself".
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was a little baffled when we came to the conclusion that what you are defines what you will do... But I think it is more fair that it is a combination. Just because one is the daughter of a thief doesn't mean that is what they will do right? I refuse to believe it. Though, who you defining what you do does have a matter of truth. In the same way, what you are defining who you are has a matter of truth as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Joy. As followers of Christ we should live as a reflection of Him. Also, I think along with what you were saying, what we do MOST is how we will be known. If I ride my bike and read books, but people only ever see me riding my bike, then I will be known as a bike rider. If I claim to be a Christian but only ever talk about the books I've read recently, then I will be known as a scholar/bookworm but not necessarily a Christian. Following Christ should spill over into every area of our lives so others can't help but notice our authenticity.
ReplyDeleteActions are very powerful tools. They can change everything. People do not always seem to think about how their actions will affect others. But then others use their actions to rally people. During the April 27th tornadoes, people traveled from all across the state to provide aid for those in need. Their actions spoke louder then the people who just preached about helping them yet never got up from behind that podium. We are always doing things that represent who we are. We just need to decide what actions are worth showing.
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