"Practice what you preach." Not half bad advice right? The world would be a whole lot more straightforward if we actually acted the same way that we say we want to. I think there's an interesting question here: Why don't we act the way we claim to? Maybe the key is we actually do act consistently with our beliefs, we just aren't aware.
When we analyze our actions deep enough, we always have to come to some sort of conclusion about why we do something. We do something because we have a perception about reality, a belief. We make jokes because we believe something to be humorous within that context, or at least humorous to ourselves. We get defensive in situations where we believe something is in danger, whether physical or otherwise. Everything we do, we do because we have beliefs about a specific situation. Somewhere, deep down in that complex mind of ours, we hold beliefs that dictate everything we do. Every belief we hold affects our actions entirely, no matter how much you try and construct a situation in which you can contradict it. Though some beliefs are not easily showcased, like someone who is an intelligent opportunist, it will show when the cards are down.
But what if we don't know what we believe? I think this hits at the heart of anyone my age, and potentially other generations as well. We often have that sinking feeling of, "I really don't know what to think anymore." During those times in our lives, we find ourselves wandering aimlessly in the way we carry ourselves. People start noticing that we're acting out of character, but in reality, we're acting out of our beliefs. And when it gets to this point, it's hard to practice what you preach because everything you knew had been pulled out from under you. Now you find yourself doing things out of habit, only to remember you have no idea why you actually do them anymore. So now what do you do?
Have faith, because God is faithful. I recently had a time like this in life, where I sat by and watched every magnificent building I created deconstruct itself. The beautiful inner city I made atop my beliefs crumbled, and all that remained were rotting pipes, uneven foundations, and wormwood. I'd constructed this city that fit well within itself. Morbid as it might be, it made sense. Through these beliefs I understood and interacted with the world, and through the grace of God, I watched it all fall away. The period between the deconstruction and the reconstruction lasted about three years, and the reconstruction has lasted the past three years. Because I'm a fan of numerology, I'm interested to see the following three. In each of these phases, I've seen myself change in action drastically. And I think that's because my belief about reality changed drastically, namely my belief about who Jesus is.
I always hear that people don't change, and I think that's because, by and large, people are convinced of the same beliefs their entire life and never take time to think twice about them. But in reality, if you take the time to think about your beliefs, wrestle with them, and let people poke holes in them, the only constant in your life will be change. And maybe change isn't so bad. I'll leave this with a quote from Augustine, a 4-5th century theologian:
"Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand."
and,
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." - Matt. 6:33.
I believe that though the passage is talking about material things, wisdom is more than likely included as well.