When Faith Becomes Performance

 “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” 

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Ever heard people give advice or give life lessons, but you can't seem to point out how they know it works? Well, been there too!

Our society values declarations, but character is revealed through actions! Many people preach what their religious teacher says, but struggle to apply it themselves.

That uncle who talks about being humble but is the most boastful person you know, that aunty who preaches about how gossiping isn't right, but somehow knows the gossip of the entire locality.

We all know such people; they're exactly who this post is about.

This gap between words and actions is far too common, especially when faith and morality enter the picture. People readily repeat what they read in scriptures, texts, or hear from spiritual guides, yet their conviction falters the moment those same principles demand real effort from them. Speaking about values is easy because it costs nothing. Practising them requires discipline, and ego often refuses that demand. It is always simpler to instruct others than to correct oneself, and advice becomes a convenient way to appear wise without doing the work that wisdom actually requires.

This is most prevalent in how faith is often performed socially. Rituals, language, and reminders are visible markers of devotion. But the most crucial aspects of faith, such as kindness, humility, honesty, etc., are not focused on.

We notice hypocrisy quickly in others because it is obvious. Their advice rarely survives their own inconvenience. The person who lectures on humility cannot tolerate being ignored. The one who condemns gossip cannot resist participating in it. This is exactly how words become tools for authority, not reflections of character.

In the end, the point remains as clear as Ralph Waldo Emerson suggested. Actions do not compete with words; they replace them. What we consistently do becomes the only message that matters.

The real test is simple. Remove the advice, lectures, and claims of belief. 

What remains after that is the person's reality. And that truth is always visible in what they choose to do.

Love,

Ash