BUT THEY HAVE A GREAT HEART
Proverbs 20:11 NKJV
11 Even a child is known by his deeds,
Whether what he does is pure and right.
I just love the Proverbs. So practical. Often blunt. But always on point. Verse 3 says it's honorable for a man to stop arguing since any fool can start a quarrel. As I said, often blunt, but always on point. Our verse for today is another blunt but true principle.
We have all heard someone talking to us about another individual who has questionable or worse behavior. Often, the one describing will remark, "But they have a great heart." Oh, they may lie to you, but they have a great heart. They may steal from you, but they have a great heart. They may be abusive to their kids, but they have a great heart. They talk badly about other people, but they have a great heart and on and on.
Bottom line is they don't have a great heart. This verse says that even a child is known by his actions. All children aren't perfect, and even children are known by what they do. If what they do is pure and right, then we have a way of knowing what kind of child this is. And if this principle applies to children, then how much more does it apply to adults? Adults and teens are known by their actions, what they do. Not simply by what they say. People can talk a good game, but they are not known entirely by their words. Words and actions need to be lined up. If you are going to talk a good game, then live a good game. And even if a person is saying the right things but their actions don't line up, pay closer attention to what they do.
Jesus gave us the same principle during His time on earth. In Matthew 7:17, Jesus said that good trees produce good fruit, bad trees produce bad fruit. And in verse 20, Jesus summed it all up by saying, "Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions." NLT. That's a mic drop, nuff said. There is an old adage that what you do speaks so loudly I can't hear what you say.
APPLICATION
One of the great things about Proverbs is how much wisdom it holds, especially when it comes to dealing with people. Years ago, I heard a businessman say he read a Proverb a day, and it was the best book on business he had ever found. While Proverbs may not tell you how to write a new software program, it will help you work with the people who do.
The cautionary tale with this proverb is to look for what someone does to discern what kind of a person you are dealing with. All of us have made mistakes, but what is the overall body of work? When hiring new employees, be led by the Holy Spirit and pay attention to their track record. I haven't always done that and have the scars to prove it. Good trees bear good fruit, good hearts produce good deeds.