I often hear the phrase “Walk your talk” and it really means a lot. What we are on the inside comes out really more in our walk than in our talk. Without getting into the psychology of it, our mind operates on both a subconscious level and a conscious level. At the conscious level we are very aware of what we are thinking and what we choose to say or do. This part of us is very much tied to what comes out of our mouths and shows up in some of our behavior. The subconscious part of us is what is automatic through repeating it over and over – like breathing and stopping at a red light (hopefully).
The character that we have on the inside is built through the subconscious where we repeatedly think a certain way. This comes from mostly our upbringing from family, community, church, school, etc. We can choose how we act on an everyday basis, but when a challenge comes, that character on the inside comes on out while our mind is still thinking about what to do. We can design a certain “appearance” for the world – but the real person comes out when surprised or challenged.
It is interesting to watch people and see how well their walk agrees with their talk – and also to just watch the walk of folks. Over the years it has been very interesting to me in the difference in help that I get from people who are in church every time the doors open and some people who never darken the door of a church. Typically the “good church folk” don’t have the time of day for me while some of the other folks seem to consistently walk out the frequent biblical guidance to help our neighbors.
In 1 Samuel 16:7, God did tell Samuel that “For[b] the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” So when it comes to walking and talking, I go by the walk rather than the talk – I think that it shows the true heart of the person more.
