"Don't Tell Me, Show Me"

My purpose in this forum is to encourage others by making application of Scriptural principles to leadership and ‘real life’ subject matter.”--RT

[Excerpt from "The Discipleship Dilemma," by R. Templeton]

Consider the following Proverbs: Proverbs 27:2, "2 Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips"; and, Proverbs 20:6, "Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?" I think Solomon reveals some masterful and attenuated genius in the truth of these two Proverbs, and I am struck by the combination/contrasting of two ideas: 1) proclaiming your own goodness, e.g., "praising yourself"; and, 2) faithfulness. So, how do these two ideas mesh into one piece of good advice? I'm glad you asked!

I have a son to whom I had to routinely say during his formative years, "Don't tell me, show me!" This was frequently necessary because of, at least in part, the constant barrage of negative example proliferating in the world around us. We live in a time of arrogance, of proclaimed self-aggrandizement, of blustering, of "cheap-and-easy." All of these characteristics have something in common: they proceed from an inner core of insecurity. When I am insecure, I must make it my business to point out to you my worth to compensate for my inner self-doubt. When one combines self-doubt with an uncontrolled tongue, the result is arrogance. We have a phrase for it: "Trash talk." I'm not addressing the trash talk that is nothing more than light banter between friends. I'm talking about the mean-spirited, over-compensating self-aggrandizement that we see in so many arenas today from politics, to sports, to the living room.

In light of the foregoing discussion, we have Solomon quietly telling us, "Don't tell me, show me!." and though the words are different the meaning to the discerning person is clear. This world is full of "one-and-done" "one-hit" wonders proclaiming each their own goodness; but who can find a faithful man? Faithfulness means keeping-on keeping on. It means consistency. It means showing up, ready to perform, ready to work, ready to sweat. And, it means "I will be here tomorrow, same place, same time, to do the same thing." Faithfulness is the antithesis of a "participation trophy." And just in case you think this is just an Old Testament concept, consider Matthew 6:3: "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing". Our "rock stars" should be the faithful among us, not the flashy, arrogant, boasting, or attention-seeking. Of course, these, too, need attention; but it is the attention of healing, not the attention of admiration.