I was talking with a Church member about some activities and events that were taking place in our faith and local community when something happened. The name of a particular person was brought up, and a question was asked about their participation. The response was a simple, “They are a part of this Church,” and then they rolled their eyes. We both smiled, and the conversation went forward with no more discussion.

That one eye rolled said everything without saying anything. Neither of us was being judgmental nor mean. We did not speak ill or that person, and we were in no way spreading malicious stories. At the same time, we both acknowledged the truth on a deeper level.

When someone rolls their eyes, it is a statement of “don’t pay any attention to them.” That means this person says things that are usually proven to be untrue. In other words, they say they are a part of our Church, but there is no evidence to support that claim.

This encounter made me smile and hurt and think all at the same time. For me, I like to take ideas and flip them over to see them from another angle. I immediately wondered, “What do people roll their eyes about when they talk about me?” What is there in my life that I claim true and everyone knows it is not, but no one says a word?

Christian integrity is about doing what you say you believe. Your words and actions need to be in complete harmony. I wonder, “Where are the gaps in my life I am missing?” If I could see people talking about me, at what point do they roll their eyes. This is most likely the place where my life needs attention as a believer. Am I all talk and no actions? Do my actions align with my words? Do I believe things about myself that have no evidence in my life?

Through the years, my actions have received a due amount of jokes and finger-pointing. I am deeply flawed, but I am trying to grow in the Lord. One sign of my growth and maturity is that I live in a way that no one will roll their eyes about me anymore.