Actions Speak Louder

As of October 23, 2024, Market Watch reports that 3M (MMM) stock is trading within the following ranges:

Price: $131.22 open, $134.04 current price.  
1 day range of $134.29–$136.12.  
52-week range: $72.71–$141.34.
Volume: 2,791,646.

I do not know what most of the data means, but I do know that my husband is an avid purchaser and user of a popular 3M product; the infamous Post-it note aka Sticky note. He uses them in so many applications; grocery lists, to-do lists, reminders, puts them on the walls and rooms where repairs need to be made, they are everywhere! This morning, there were four in the kitchen; each one bearing a sweet sentiment from his heart to mine. I found an “I love you” next to the coffee pot, a heart on my coffee mug, a smiley on top of my keys and “twice” next to my purse. Our definition of “twice” means I only thought about you twice today, all day, and all night. :)  The Sticky notes stretch far beyond the kitchen. I find them in my car, tucked in my socks, my laptop, my Bible and today I found one on the box of the fondue pot.  Those are the little things he does, which are not really little. This guy tells me he loves me, writes me that he loves me, and shows me by his actions that he loves me every day and in so many ways.
 
I’m reminded of what Mark Twain said, “Action speaks louder than words but not nearly as often.” I think anyone reading this would agree that what you do is more significant than what you say. It can be very easy and effortless to substitute talk for love. Talk about loving someone, talk about taking a meal, talk about filling someone’s gas tank, talk about volunteering, talk about meeting whatever needs they have instead of actually meeting them. The true test is in actions and telling the truth.
 
Jesus wanted his disciples to love, to choose to act.  I love the story of Jesus washing of the disciples' feet. It was one of those precious moments demonstrating a selfless and sacrificial love.  
 
Towards the end of the New Testament there is a short but powerful sentence credited to be written by the apostle John—one of Jesus' chosen twelve, the son of Zebedee, and “the disciple whom Jesus loved”,  1 John 3:18 “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
 
Jesus's actions, such as washing the feet of his disciples and his death on the cross, are examples of love "in deed and in truth".  The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 2: 3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” YES!!! THIS KIND OF LOVE. THESE KINDS OF ACTIONS. Let’s love like Jesus loves and have the same mindset as Christ.
 
C.S. Lewis has a quote that made me stop and think about how I love others and if I really, REALLY love them; “Loving everybody in general may be an excuse for loving nobody in particular.”  And let’s cut to the chase, as Christians, we should “act” like Christ and people should see Christ in us.
 
“I want to live love in real life and as a child of God. I desire to not just love with my words but show love through my actions and in truth.”  That’s the best thing that I’ve written on a sticky note all day!


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