Talkers & Doers
The other morning I read the following verse:
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” Ecclesiastes 9:10
Then, a part of my New Testament reading included the following:
“Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great. ” Luke 6:47-49
Both of these passages speak of doers. The first verse encourages doers to get busy and do what they’re going to do for God NOW. When our time on this earth is over, it will be too late. The second passage describes the stability of a doer.
When I read these verses, I was reminded of a sign I gave Bethany for Christmas…
The sign is a great reminder that we are defined by our actions, not our words. Talkers may boast of what they are going to do…or what everyone should do…but that’s about as far as talkers go. Talkers just talk. I am reminded of Proverbs 25:14…
“Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.” Proverbs 25:14
Matthew Henry’s comments on the above verse are as follows:
“He may be said to boast of a false gift, 1. Who pretends to have received or given that which he never had, which he never gave, makes a noise of his great accomplishments and his good services, but it is all false; he is not what he pretends to be. Or, 2. Who promises what he will give and what he will do, but performs nothing, who raises people’s expectations of the mighty things he will do for his country, for his friends, what noble legacies he will leave, but either he has not wherewithal to do what he says or he never designs it. Such a one is like a morning cloud, that passes away, and disappoints those who looked for rain from it to water the parched ground (Jude 12), clouds without water.” ~ Matthew Henry
On the other hand, doers just do. Doers may not talk much at all but that’s ok. It’s far better to be a doer than a talker. In fact, I Thessalonians 4:11 exhorts us…
“And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;”
This morning, are we just a talker…or are we a doer? Ahh…we’ve all been guilty from time to time of making promises that we have failed to keep. But, is this how our closest relations would define us? This morning, would others describe us as just a talker…or a doer?
“Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.” Luke 8:19-21