“Follow what I say. Do not follow what I do.”
I know someone who used to say this to his children. He was an intelligent man, garnering a Ph.D. degree in agriculture. He became a teacher, touching his students’ lives with his words. He even became the dean of his department at some point, earning respect and admiration from people around him.
Unfortunately, he was also an alcoholic. It was worse when he was younger. And as he aged, his health slowly became compromised. Hence his advice to his children, “Follow what I say. Do not follow what I do.”
This brings me to the cliché “action speaks louder than words.” This man’s story is a clear example. Despite his sound advice and words of wisdom, his actions caught up with him and jeopardized his health. Although his words benefited those around him, the fact that some of his actions are not according to what he says caused himself harm. That is the first aspect.
In the course of life, we meet a lot of people whose actions do not coincide with their words. A policeman who is supposed to implement the law brings out a pack of cigarettes and starts puffing, even sharing it with some of his colleagues in their precinct. A pastor who preaches about not giving in to the sins of the flesh meets up with friends after the mass and starts drinking like there is no tomorrow. A youth leader who reminds his co-youth to exercise self-control posts angrily on Facebook, using swear words abundantly. A guy says ‘I love you’ to a girl, but his actions say, ‘I don’t care’. A teacher educates her students about respecting authority but then talks badly about her supervisor behind her back. These are just a few examples of the reality that is happening. We become hypocrites. We don’t man up to our words. We do not ‘walk our talk’. That is the second aspect.
What then, could we do? Is it even possible to completely match our actions with our words? Well, the best role model we have is Jesus Christ himself. He is the perfect example of someone ‘walking his talk’. If he could do it, then we can too. Yes, we make mistakes and fall short of what is expected of us. Yes, we sometimes give in to sin. But despite everything, we must persevere. We must not give up. We want our children to see good examples from their parents, teachers, and others. We want them to trust in the people they look up to. We want the next generations to care and love not just through words but more importantly through actions.
If we achieve that, humanity will survive. One can only hope.
By O. D. M. Fonite
