Sunday, October 26, 2014

Obedience When No One Is Watching


My Aunt Rosie has never gotten a speeding ticket. She is 78 years old. She always drives within the acceptable speed limit and is very careful to obey all the traffic rules. When we were in Wisconsin, my dad was kind of laughing at her because as she turned onto her street, she had her blinker on. The unique thing about that is barely anyone drives along the roads near her home. There is not a stop light within 50 miles of her home. We vacation there every summer because it is so quiet and peaceful on the Green Bay side of Lake Michigan. 

Aunt Rosie obeys the traffic laws even when no one is watching. It got me to thinking, are we as careful to obey all of God's commands to us even when no one is looking. Are we careful what we watch knowing that God wants us to dwell on the lovely and the good? Do we respect and submit to our husbands in the quiet of our homes? Are we joyful and kind to those in our home as much as we are to strangers? Do we take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ? Is our speech seasoned with salt so that no unwholesome words come out of our mouths? Do we forgive easily and show grace even to those in-laws we don't like much?

God wants us to pay close attention to the way that we live our lives. Others are watching us. Are we different than the world around us or are we hypocrites like so many who claim the name of Christ? We must be especially careful around our children for they should see Jesus in us more than anyone. Sure, we will blow it but we quickly apologize and ask for forgiveness.

Determine to be lights in this dark world. If my Aunt can spend her whole life carefully obeying the laws of the road, we can spend our lives making sure we are not blaspheming the Word of God through our disobedience since God's Holy Spirit lives inside of us enabling us to walk in obedience to Him.

Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; 
continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself,
 and them that hear thee.
I Timothy 4:16