Beliefs affect actions

People may hear your words, but the feel your attitude. (John C. Maxwell)

People may cover their hatred with pleasant words, but they’re deceiving you. They pretend to be kind, but don’t believe them. Their hearts are full of many evils. While their hatred may be concealed by trickery, their wrongdoing will be exposed in public. (Proverbs 26:24-26)

One of the greatest forms of 'trickery' is the use of one's words. Some will be kind, but the attitude behind those words expresses anything but kindness. Others will seem harsh, yet the intent of those words were to help you more than you may realize. I agree with Maxwell - the 'attitude' behind the words is most important!

The Lord helps us see through words when we seek his understanding in all matters. We may not be able to discern the intent of the one speaking those words on our own, but with the power of the Holy Spirit resident within each of us, we almost 'feel' the attitude behind the spoken words. If you have ever had that little 'check' in your spirit when something was being said, it was likely the Holy Spirit helping you to discern the true intent of those words.

Words can mask all kinds of poor attitudes, but eventually the attitude will betray the one who tried such trickery. A person's overall behavior often betrays what they speak, doesn't it? Perhaps that is why the old adage of 'judging a book by its cover' came about. According to those who have studied human behavior, our attitude is comprised of our beliefs, feelings, and even our 'behavioral tendencies' toward something. What are 'behavioral tendencies'? They are the result of our beliefs that influence how we feel, therefore creating the 'tendency' to behave based upon both of those influences.

If we form wrong beliefs, the tendency to connect wrong feelings to the actions that are a result of those wrong beliefs will be hard to mask. Form godly beliefs, allowing them to create positive and affirming feelings toward right behavior, and our words will likely be kinder, more loving, and expressive of grace. Just sayin!