Are You Misrepresented?

I am trying (and failing) to get some of my homework and studying done right now. In doing this, I realized that I need to get my thoughts down before I try to focus on something else.

Yet again, this idea came from something that was said during my communication class today. We were discussing verbal and non-verbal communication, and how everything we do can be perceived as a means of communication. In fact, we went ahead and defined non-verbal communication as this: facial expressions, body movements, and physical appearance. So even the way you dress can be a form of communication.

Think about this: What does your non-verbal communication say about you? To me, this immediately brings up the ideals of a "good" Christian. A lot of times, we talk about not just "talking the talk" but also "walking the walk", but have you ever stopped to think about how important that truly is?

As the old adage says, "actions speak louder than words." Do your actions speak of a "good" Christian life, or do they lead people in a different direction? And whether you realize it or not, you are always communicating with someone. This sounds almost paranoid, but people really are watching you all the time, especially once they know you are a Christian. And many times, your life and your actions might be the most prominent display of Christianity that they see.

No matter how much you talk about Christianity, if your life and your everyday actions don't match up with what you are saying, people aren't going to listen to that message. They are going to "listen" to what your actions are saying. You can be the biggest verbal advocate of Christianity, but if you don't advocate that in your lifestyle, it won't matter. People will always believe your actions over your words, because they know that will be more true to who you really are.

Something else we have to realize is that we send messages through our non-verbal communication constantly, and more often than not, it is unintentional. We may not mean to come across as disrespectful, but by rolling our eyes (or some other similar action), that is the message we send out. We may not mean to come across as uncaring, but by appearing busy and distracted, that is the message we send out. It is important as a Christian to be aware of what our unintentional non-verbals are saying about us as well as our intentional actions.

So are your actions getting the message across that you want them to? Or are you being misrepresented?