Your actions reveal your real priorities.  Your words not so much. This is a simple truth, but one that’s easy to forget.

I remember a powerful moment from the late 1990s when we lived in Nashville. Our priest, Father Randy, addressed our affluent congregation one Sunday. He challenged us to look inward and examine if we truly walked the talk when it came to giving back.

“You’re all well-intentioned,” he said, “and you say all the right things. But if I looked at your bank statement, I bet it would show me that your priorities are different from what you claim. You’re spending your money on fancy cars. How much are you giving to the poor?”

You could have heard a pin drop.  Everyone looked down. 

This principle extends far beyond personal finances. It’s the human condition and applies to all aspects of life. Politicians are often prime examples of this disconnect between words and actions. They might campaign on promises of transparency and integrity, only to engage in backroom deals and self-serving policies once in office. They might speak passionately about climate change, then vote against environmental protections that could hurt their donors’ interests.

But it’s easy to point fingers at others. The real challenge is to turn this lens on ourselves.

Think about how you spend your time. You might say family is your top priority, but if you consistently choose work over family dinners or your children’s events, your actions are telling a different story. You might claim health is important to you, but if you regularly skip workouts and indulge in junk food, your actions reveal your true priorities.

We all have moments of weakness or times when immediate pressures override our long-term values. The point is to be aware of the pattern our actions create over time.

Aligning your actions with your stated priorities is or isn’t a habit of yours.  Make it a habit. That requires constant self-reflection and often, difficult choices. It means saying no to things that don’t align with your core values, even when they’re tempting. It means making time for what truly matters, even when it’s inconvenient.

But the reward for this alignment is immense. It leads to a life of integrity, where your outer world reflects your inner values. It builds trust with others, as they see your consistency. Most importantly, it brings a deep sense of fulfillment, knowing that you’re living in accordance with your beliefs.

As James writes in the Bible, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” This applies not just to faith, but to all our values and priorities.

Please strive to let your actions be a true reflection of your values. It’s a lifelong journey, and you’ll sometimes fall short. But the effort to align your actions with your beliefs will lead to a more authentic, purposeful life. And that’s a life worth living.