Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Today's post looks at the parable Jesus tells in Matthew 21:28-32, and the message underneath it: sincerity matters more than saying the right words or making promises you don't keep. It's a parable about actions outweighing words, and about what's actually in someone's heart mattering more than what comes out of their mouth. That lesson lands hard on a college volleyball team, where a player's actions and her actual commitment to the goal are what determine whether the team succeeds. As a coach, I believe being a good teammate means showing loyalty and commitment through what you do, not just what you say.

Let's start at the beginning. In Matthew 21:28-32, a father asks his two sons to work in his vineyard. The first son says no, then has a change of heart and goes to work anyway. The second son agrees right away, "I go, sir," and then never shows up. When Jesus asks which son actually did his father's will, the priests and elders answer correctly: the first one.

Here's where the parable actually lands its hardest punch, and it's easy to miss if you stop at "actions matter more than words." Jesus tells the religious leaders standing in front of him, the ones who'd have said all the right things their whole lives, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you." The people everyone assumed were furthest from God, people who'd said no with their whole lives up to that point, actually turned and did the work. The people who'd said all the right things never did. Sincerity beats performance every single time, even when the sincere person's starting point looks a lot messier.

On a college volleyball team, that plays out constantly. Athletes will say they're committed to the team and desperate to win, but it's their actions, on the court, on social media, in practice, in the dorms, that actually show their real dedication and loyalty. Like the second son, a player can say all the right things and put on a good front, but if her actions never back up her words, she's never going to be a real asset to the program.

On the other hand, a player who starts out unsure of her own ability, but shows real willingness to learn and actually puts in the work to get better, is worth more to a team than someone who talks a big game and never follows through. Just like in the parable, dedication and follow-through matter more than being a good talker.

As a coach, I believe the best teammates don't just talk the talk. They walk it. Athletes need to show their commitment in action, the same way the first son in Matthew 21:28-32 backed up his initial "no" with an actual change of heart and real work. A player who doesn't look like the most skilled or the most dedicated on day one can absolutely prove herself into a real, valuable teammate through hard work and a genuine commitment to getting better, physically and mentally both.