Actions Speak Louder Than Words.

"Actions must follow what one beleives, else one could not claim to believe it" Dietrich Bonhoeffer 1934. Yes I know, the second Bonhoeffer quote in two days! Sorry but I am starting to like this guy. Yesterday, after I wrote my blog "Stuck In The Middle" I went out, as is my new joy, to my bunker to read. Frank had sent me the book "Bonhoeffer" for my Birthday and I am thoughly enjoying reading about this mans life.

I was feeling , as the post says, stuck between home and Afghanistan. Feeling as if I wanted to be in both places at once. I was not down just torn if that makes sense. At home was everything that I love. In Afghanistan is everything that I have everything God is teaching me. So thoughts of this are running through my mind. I find it amazing everytime that God speaks into my life in a simple way. You see, within a few pages I read the above quote. I actually stopped and paused and read it again. "actions must follow what one believes, else one could not claim to believe it."

Before I left home to come here I was very actively persuing small community, small groups and discipleship along with others from my church. It is where the Pstor was leading us and the Elders were moving towards for the Congregation. My belief is that these are the fundementals of our lives as Christians. We are saved by Faith in Jesus Chrsit but we grow through Discipleship and small group. Congragational Church produces very little, only when we pour into each other on the individual level do we have real results.

Here this is all that I have, small group and small community. Even discipleship everday with Chandel. I am here learning what I have believed before I came here. I am experiencing the ups and down first hand so that I can understand what the actions of my life should be. This is real practice if you will of what I am called to do. Everyday that I am here I see how this fact is being driven into my heart deeper and deeper by God. So thank you God for the message, reinforced later by my wife, that this is exactly where I need to be and what I need to be glorifing God in.

Now back to the quote. Did you think about this like I did? Do we as Christians take what we believe and allow our actions to flow from that? Bonhoeffer said this in a speach in Denmark to Church Leaders from around Europe to rally them against the evil he saw coming with Hitler. The German Chruch was taken over by cronies of Hitlers and Bonheoffer was standing against them. He wanted Christians to act as the believed, act how God told them to act. Bonhoeffer was right then and his words are right now. If you say that you believe something then show that you believe it. Show it even when it hurts. If you don't, then you don't truly believe what you say you do.

I will tell you the truth, my faith waivers sometimes, just like yours probably does. We fall back into sin and struggle, but these words have helped me very simply understand what I should strive to do here, and in my life. Believe and act on behalf of that belief in my life.

Lord, as Bonhoeffer showed me, may I believe and menifest those beliefs into pure actions in my life. May others do the same.