Is your Talk Louder than your Walk

Good morning ladies. Come sit a spell and have some tea with me as we continue our study in Titus. As I said last week, this is such a burden on my heart and I pray that the Lord uses it to encourage and challenge each of you.

Last week you were asked to focus on how you face and handle criticism and praise. This is important because our behavior is to be holy.

2:3 - 5 "The aged women likewise, that [they be] in behavior as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, [To be] discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

How did you do? Many times when we try to do the right thing we face obstacles and trials. Satan does not want us to have victory and to be pleasing to the Lord and will try to defeat us. When that happens remember that we cannot walk in our own strength. It is only through the strength of our Lord that we can walk in continual victory and please Him.

Isa 41:10 "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God:
I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the
right hand of my righteousness. "

The next part of our instruction is that our behavior be "a becometh holiness." What does that mean? I don't think any Christian would say "I am committed to living an unholy life. " We all would say we desire to be holy. However, do we actually hold EVERY behavior, EVERY decision up to Gods mirror and ask Him if it is holy? Or do we "follow our gut?"

Ladies, our gut is not a good guide. The Word tells us that our hearts are desperately wicked and we CANNOT know it. Many times we are not able to be honest with ourselves about our motivations and heart.

Jer 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? "

The Hebrew word for "holiness," " kedushah" has the connotation of "separateness." That which is holy in Judaism is set apart, and the separation is maintained by both legal and spiritual measures. This is the definition being discussed in this verse. It has the same meaning that we see in Paul's writings:

2Co 6:17 "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,"

Does this mean we live separately? Does it mean we do not come in contact with unholiness? No, ladies. It cannot mean that for we do live in this world and we must be a light to the lost people around us. However, it does mean that we should be surrendered to the Lord and allow Him to sanctify us...to set us apart for His use. That requires a willingness to make the changes necessary to be conformed into His image. We must set our goals, desires and dreams aside and allow our Lord to replace them with His goals, desires and dreams for our lives. As He conforms us, we are being transformed and set apart for His use. When we think of ourselves as tools the picture becomes so much clearer.


My husband has a garage full of tools for work. Each tool has a place and has been set apart for a specific use. My husband keeps his tools clean and sharp and ready for him to use at any time. If the tool is dirty or dull when he picks it up to use, it is not ready for use and is not as helpful to him as it could have been.

That is what we are to the Lord; we are HIS tools. He desires for us to be holy; set apart, so that when He has a need for us we are ready. If we are needed and the Lord turns to us and we are dirty, are we any good to Him? We might be able to do part of the job, but we will not be as useful as we could have been.

There is a reason that this requirement comes before "teacher of good things." Can you be a teacher of good things if you, yourself, do not know or live those good things? Let me ask you ladies, if I stood before you in shorts and a halter top and told you of the importance of modest dressing....would you listen? Would I have any positive impact on you? The only positive impact would be the possible lesson you could learn from my negative behavior. That is not the way the Lord intends it.

Our lives should be a support of our words. We can say anything, but it is our lives that demonstrate the Truth. I heard a preacher recently say " Your talk talks; and your walk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks. " Get it ladies? That is so appropriate as we study these verses. Last week we talked about taking criticism in a righteous manner.

This week we have seen that we are to be holy; set apart and ready for the Lord to use. Are you ready ladies? Could the Lord pick you up and use you now? Or are there some areas in your life that need cleaned up so that you can be useful? I encourage you to go to the Lord and ask Him to reveal any dross that you need to let Him remove from your life.

Ladies, please do not just ask yourself. As we have seen, our hearts are wicked and we can think we are fine when actually we may be filthy! Ask the Lord to help you and if you have someone else in your life who is an accountability partner, ask them to help you. Before you ask anyone ladies, remember that we are to accept instruction with a humble heart. If they tell you something they see, do not come back at them defensively, but thank them and then take it to the Lord.

Have a great week all and may we all strive to be set apart and fit for The Masters use.

In Him who cannot fail, Michelle