"Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts."

James 3:13, The Message

Do you realize how much I could write on this subject?  I could spend an hour on each sentence.  I won't ... I don't think ... but I could.  Do you have a friend, or a family member, or a colleague that is your "go-to" person?  You know, whether through intellectual knowledge, experience in the school of hard knocks, or just a great listener, they're the people you go to.  I have that person.  I've gotten so much help from them they've built a reputation with me for being wise and more importantly, loyal.  They've also shown that their life counts by the way they live, not how they talk.

Live well.  This is a smart thing to do.  Here's where I really need to take my own advice.  Being laid up and slowed down by my surgeries, I've slipped in this area of my life.  We should all live well ... exercise, eat right, treat others right.

Live wisely.  Something else I need to work on.  Make good decisions.  Commit to do the right thing .. the next right thing.  Don't take crazy chances, or test unnecessary limits.

Live humbly.  I may have just lost a few of you with that one.  You might not want to hear this, but living humbly is easier for me to do than the other two.  It wasn't always easy, but it's become easier and easier.  Probably because so much has been lost, or taken away from me.  God has allowed things to happen in my life that require me to lean more on Him and much less on myself.  Much less.  Isn't that how He wants us to live though?  Doesn't He want us to count on Him, look to Him, invite Him to be our "all in all"?

"It's the way you live, not the way you talk".  Isn't that the truth.  I used to have days on the court, back when I played basketball, where I was trash talking with the best of them.  We'd start going at each other from the first play.  Trash talk is only as good as the skill (and points) that backs it up.  Most days I had the results to back it up.  Once in a while I'd have days where my talk meant nothing.

Talk is cheap ... I'm pretty sure I quoted that recently in a previous blog post, but it's so true.  I don't have to look any further than the past year to come up with several examples of people telling me one thing and doing another.  I remain kind to them but I don't trust them as far as I can throw them, and I certainly haven't kept them as part of my daily life.  I'd rather hang out with and associate and give my time to those who have proven their feelings about me and love for me through actions.  Those are the people I choose to live with, live for, and invest my life in.  Not because of what I get back, but because of the way they treat me, makes me want to do all those things.  Their actions count.  The number of things that some people have done for me are countless.  I thank them for that.

Jesus is the ultimate 'walking the talk' example.  He spoke strong words, but he always backed them up.  His promises are timeless.  His example is unmatched.  We're encouraged to emulate Him, and His life.  I think if we try, and know in advance we'll blow it, but if we try to be like Jesus, we'll live well, we'll live wisely, and we'll live humbly.  And we won't even be able to count the number of people who are thankful for us. 

What kind of reputation would we get from living like that?  Wow ...