How Your Actions Preach Without Words
From the moment we open our eyes each morning until we close them at night, our lives are on display. Whether we realize it or not, everyone around us is watching how we live—our kids observe how we handle stress, coworkers notice our reactions to unfair treatment, and neighbors see how we treat our family even when we think no one is looking.
For Christians, the stakes are even higher. People aren’t just watching us; they’re watching to see if Jesus is real in our lives. They want to know if our faith holds up when things get tough and how we handle everyday conflicts. Our lives are literally the sermon we preach without words every single day.
When God Sets You Apart for a Purpose
In Acts 13, we see how Saul (later called Paul) and Barnabas were set apart by the Holy Spirit because God had a special plan for their lives. When they began their first missionary journey, they could have gone anywhere to share the good news of Jesus. Interestingly, the first place they chose was Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean Sea.
Why Cyprus? Acts 4:36 gives us the answer: Barnabas was from Cyprus. Their first missionary assignment became a homecoming for Barnabas, a chance to share the gospel with his family, friends, and even those he didn’t get along with.
Why is it harder to share your faith with those who knew you before?
As Jesus said in Mark 6:4, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” Those who knew you before your transformation are often the hardest to convince that you’ve changed. They know your story, your past, and how you used to be.
But Barnabas didn’t care what people might say about him. He couldn’t wait to share the gospel in his hometown, even though he was about to learn that sometimes when you go back home to share the gospel, it might not be accepted as you hoped.
Spiritual Opposition Is Inevitable
When you step out to do something for God that will change the world, the world doesn’t just roll over and play dead. This first stop in Barnabas’s hometown turned into a spiritual showdown that neither he nor Paul was fully prepared for.
But because of their prayer life, their dedication to God, and their refusal to give up in the face of opposition, God brought them through this interaction in a way that caught the attention of the most powerful man on the island, the governor.
The governor had been watching their every move since they arrived. He was trying to figure out who was real, Paul and Barnabas, who followed the teachings of Jesus, or his own spiritual advisor. The outcome of this showdown would have eternal consequences not just for the governor but for the entire island.
Who’s Watching Your Life?
This story reminds us that we never know who’s watching our lives. We never know how our faithfulness to God during moments of conflict or difficulty might be the very thing God uses to open someone’s eyes, or the thing Satan uses to close them forever.
The power struggle we witness in Acts 13 is between good and evil, between the gospel of Jesus Christ and the lies of the world. And the question is: who will win in your daily story, the one you live out in front of the world every day?
What made the early church in Antioch so unique?
In Acts 13:1-3, we see something remarkable about the church in Antioch. The leadership team was incredibly diverse:
Barnabas, the son of encouragement
Simon (called Niger, meaning “the black man”)
Lucius of Cyrene (a city in Africa)
Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch
Saul (later called Paul)
These men came from different homes, regions, walks of life, families, and experiences. But one thing held them together—they were all sold out to Jesus. In Jerusalem, everyone had to be the same, follow the same rituals and traditions. But in Antioch, it was different. It was raw and sincere, with everyone coming together for one purpose: to worship God and support each other.
How to create space for God to speak
Acts 13:2 says, “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted…” Their focus wasn’t outward but upward. When they gathered, it wasn’t about themselves but about Him. They were so serious about hearing from God, so desperate for His will in their church and lives, that they pushed everything else aside to focus completely on Him.
When a church gets into this posture before God, crying out for the Holy Spirit to be part of what happens, the Holy Spirit shows up. And when the Holy Spirit shows up, He gives you a job to do.
The Spiritual Showdown
When Paul and Barnabas arrived in Cyprus, they immediately began preaching in the synagogues. As they traveled through the island, they created a buzz that attracted attention, including that of the governor, Sergius Paulus, who wanted to hear what they had to say.
But the governor’s spiritual advisor, Elymas the sorcerer, opposed them and tried to turn the governor away from the faith. This created a spiritual tug-of-war for the governor’s soul.
In this moment, something changed for Saul. The text says, “Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit…” From this point on, Luke calls him Paul instead of Saul, signifying his step into a new identity and mission.
The Power of Being Filled with the Holy Spirit
Paul didn’t confront Elymas with his own power or anger. Instead, he was “filled with the Holy Spirit.” The watching world, including the governor, didn’t need to see Paul’s power—they needed to see Jesus’s power.
Paul, empowered by the Spirit, called out the darkness for what it was. This wasn’t Paul being judgmental; it was the Holy Spirit through Paul calling sin what it is. And when Elymas was struck blind, the governor believed, “being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”
Life Application
What sermon is your life preaching today? We all have sin in our lives from time to time, but do we admit it? Do we show the world that you don’t have to be perfect to have a relationship with Jesus?
Ask yourself:
Who is watching my life right now?
(Your kids, grandkids, coworkers, neighbors?)
What kind of sermon is my life preaching to them?
When I face conflict or opposition,
do people see me shrink back in fear or stand firm, filled with the Holy Spirit?
When I’m squeezed by the pressures of life, what comes out?
Frustration, fear, anger, or the power and peace of God?
We’re all on a stage, and every day of our lives—good, bad, or ugly—is influencing the people who are watching. You can’t speak one message and live another. You’re either fully committed to Christ or you’re not.
This week, commit to living a life that clearly demonstrates your faith. Ask God to fill you with His Spirit so that when people watch your life, they see Jesus. Remember, your most powerful testimony isn’t what you say—it’s how you live when you think no one is watching.