What are you doing right now? We always find ourselves thinking no one sees us or what we are taking part in, but there is always someone watching. Whether we are out and about in the light of day shopping, in the dark of the night when all others are sleeping, or right here in our homes, someone is always watching.Our walk is a reflection of our relationship with Christ. What we do when we are alone, or think no one is watching is much more important than what we do when we know all other eyes are on us. It's in those moments when we think no one sees where temptation strikes the heaviest.
Whether it is watching a movie our eyes should not see, listening to music that we know does not bring honor and glory to God, picking up that little glass filled with temptation in itself, or having that little card in our hands to purchase our way to happiness for the moment someone is always watching or listening.
If you have young children in your home, they may be at your feet, but they can look up at mommy or daddy. If you have teens in your home, wow, they are looking and listening just when you think they are not. What we do in moderation our children will do in excess.
Don't fool yourself into thinking no one sees. If we are worried about what others would think or afraid of what they might see, that should give us a hint that we are not doing something to bring glory and honor to God, but just the opposite. When we try to fool ourselves, we are giving into the temptations and making excuses for our behavior, and most of the time, there are no excuses, only shame.
I worked with a friend in teaching Sunday School long ago and she shared with me a story of her past. She had gotten this tattoo on a whim, and it was on her ankle. She had done this when she was much younger, but when she had children, it struck her that while they were crawling that tattoo was the first thing they saw when they reached up for mommy.
A few years ago I wanted to get a tattoo. I know, shocking right? I love dragonflies, and had this idea I would just get a bible verse instead. I was going to get little feet on my foot with Micah 6:8 on it. So when others saw my foot, that was my opening for a testimony and to share the Lord. It didn't take long to change my mind about that. At the time I was teaching young teens in Awana. I thought, "What will I do when they look down, see my tattoo, and go home telling their parents they want one, and when told no, they would say, well, Ms. Robin has one." That shocked me back to reality. I knew my walk was in their sights. They were watching everything I was doing. I was their example. I had a sweet friend just tell me the truth and be honest with me. She shared with me, "If you want to do that just put it on a t-shirt. That way you can put it on and take it off." She is a wise girl who knew just what her friend needed to hear. I do not want to make another stumble in their walk. When we really think about it, we have the power to turn others to Christ or make them walk away wanting nothing to do with Him. Its not always our words that bring others to Christ, its our walk. Its the way they see us in our everyday life. Not just how they see us at church on Sunday, but through the week when we think no one else is watching.
If you have a tattoo please do not take me wrong. I am not trying to say others should not receive a tattoo, I am sharing my experience from my heart.
I must share I am just as guilty as the next person in thinking no one is watching. One of my greatest temptations is the radio as I am driving with the windows down and am all alone. Yes, I have those days where I have my Christian station on, my hand raised, and am singing praises to the Lord, but, there are those days where I have it on that pop station, and I am singing along with music that has a good beat, but words that should not come out of my mouth. Aw, and did I say movies? Guilty again.
I cannot say one thing in front of my teenage son, and turn around and do something opposite. I want him to see his mom follow what she says she believes. I want him to be proud of who is mom is, but more than anything, I want my Father in heaven to look down upon His daughter with a smile. So in reality I just have to turn my eyes away from myself and my guilty pleasures and focus totally on Him.
We always say we should not worry about what others think of us, and to an extent that is true, but for the most part we should be concerned with our reputation. A great Youth Pastor shared a long time ago, "Your reputation will be known." So, what do does your reputation say about you and the God you love? What does it say about your walk? I know mine is not always pointing straight to Him. I'm not talking about if others like me or not. I am talking about the day you breathe your last breath, what would those who know you say about you? Would they say you were honest, pure, loving, considerate, giving? I want others to look at my life and say, "She lived for the Lord, and He looked really good on her." I need to make some changes in my life. I need to make sure I am living in such a way that others see Jesus through me in every area of my life. My actions need to be in step with my words, and they are not always so.
So what do we do if we have been living as though no one is looking? Today is a new day. It is never too late to start over and change the patterns of our lives. Its never too late to go to Christ and ask forgiveness, and go to others and ask forgiveness. In this walk we are going to stumble, we are going to falter, but its through those changes we make that others can see Christ clearly working in our lives.
Make today that new beginning, and live today knowing there is always someone watching. Even if our eyes are the only eyes in the room, we can be out of God's sight. May He see Himself shining through us today.
Micah 6:8 "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
