Do you remember some of those things we did in elementary school which came to be known as “Show and Tell”? This game taught the kids several things about life: everyone knows something no one else knows; what someone shares is of value; I have things I can share with others; actions speak louder than words; you do not have to tell everything you know; and there is a lot to learn in life, among other things.

One of those nuggets I took from those days was that what I did spoke so loudly no one could hear what I was saying. The Apostle John speaks to the need for actions rather than words in his First Epistle 2.3-6: ‘We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.’ Obedience indicates one’s knowledge.

John further amplifies the situation, continuing: ‘The man who says, ‘”I know him”’, but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.’ That is about as clearly as one could state it. Talk is cheap when it comes to the Kingdom of God. The Lord and most others know exactly what’s occurring.

The model for each of us is Jesus—not just in saying what the Lord said, but in living life as Jesus lived it. That is how everyone will know the truth—by our obedience to Jesus. John concludes: ‘But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.’ I give those who walk with me the task of making sure my walk matches my talk—SHOW AND TELL!