Right Living and Right Speaking
To be a witness for God is to be a living sign of God’s presence in the world. What we live is more important than what we say, because the right way of living always leads to the right way of speaking.
When we forgive our neighbors from our hearts, our hearts will speak forgiving words. When we are grateful, we will speak grateful words, and when we are hopeful and joyful, we will speak hopeful and joyful words.
When our words come too soon and we are not yet living what we are saying, we easily give double messages. Giving double messages–one with our words and another with our actions–makes us hypocrites. May our lives give us the right words, and may our words lead us to the right lives.
—Henri J. M. Nouwen, Bread for the Journey
To witness for God is not merely to speak His name—it is to embody His presence. Henri Nouwen reminds us that our lives are the first sermon we preach. When forgiveness, gratitude, joy, and hope fill our hearts, our words will naturally follow. But when our speech outpaces our transformation, we send mixed messages that confuse rather than inspire. Integrity begins when our living gives birth to our speaking. True witness happens when our lives and words align—when the grace we extend, the love we show, and the peace we carry all reflect the One we follow. Let your actions be so deeply rooted in Christ that your words become an echo of what’s already visible. Today, don’t strive first to say the right thing. Strive to live it. Then your words will ring true, and your life will become a signpost pointing others to God. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics