Draw Me A Picture

While words are very important, it seems that we take in a great deal more with our eyes – maybe that’s why we only have one mouth and yet two eyes!

Matthew 5:1-21

Reference: v.16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (NIV Bible)

Explore: There can be some really terrible team building exercises, however, there was one I once did that has stuck with me. It was to highlight the importance of clear communication.

Person A had a simple drawing that they needed to get Person B to draw.  The challenge was that Person B was not able to see the drawing, or Person A, but only hear their instruction.

Have a think about how challenging it would be for Person B to draw the required picture. If Person A was to give even a simple instruction, like ‘draw a circle,’ Person B does not know where on the page to put the circle or how big it should be.

After many words and much confusion we discovered that no pair had been able to replicate the original drawing.

Application: While words are very important, it seems that we take in a great deal more with our eyes – maybe that’s why we only have one mouth and yet two eyes!

When we are explaining to people what God is like our actions have a greater impact than our words. The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 has Jesus telling us about all the different ways we are to be obedient to God through our actions.

We know from our own experience that it is a lot easier to say something than to do it. As we all embark on a new year it is easy enough to say that we want to be fitter, healthier and wiser with our money, however, to put it into action is a greater challenge.

Jesus was aware that our actions would speak volumes and so He gave us the greatest example by putting His words into action through His life and encouraging us to do likewise.

Prayer: Lord, it’s much easier for me to speak good intentions, but I desire to follow in your footsteps and put them into action. Open my eyes to my hypocrisy and give me the courage to live as you would have me live. Amen.

What is an action you can take to show people your faith?

action, communication, Matthew, picture, words