One night
a clergyman was walking to church when a thief pulled a gun on him and demanded
his money or his life. When he reached in his pocket to hand over his wallet,
the robber saw his clerical collar and said: “I see you are a priest. Never
mind, you can go.” The clergyman, surprised by the robber’s unexpected act of
piety, offered him a candy bar. The robber said, “No thank you. I don’t eat candy
during Lent.”
The man
had given up candy as a supposed sacrifice for Lent, but his lifestyle of
stealing showed his real character! According to the writer of Proverbs,
conduct is the best indicator of character. If someone says he is a godly
person, his words can only be proven by consistent actions (20:11). This was
true of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day as well. He condemned the Pharisees
and exposed their sham for professing godliness but denying that profession
with sin in their lives (Matt. 23:13-36). Appearances and words are deceiving;
behavior is the best judge of character. This applies to all of us.
As
followers of Jesus, we demonstrate our love for Him by what we do, not just by
what we say. May our devotion to God, because of His love for us, be revealed
in our actions today.
Conduct
is the best proof of character. (RBC)
