Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK
Sept. 22, 2011

“You are Being Watched!”
“Earn a reputation for living well in God’s eyes and the eyes of the people." – Proverbs 3:4 (The Message)

There was a movie out a few years ago and the more I think about it – has quite a few good spiritual illustrations attached. It was called “The Truman Show.” It was about a man whose life, unbeknownst to him, was actually a television show. It followed his life from the moment he was born and into his adult life. There were cameras on him literally 24 hours a day. Everyone in his life, his friends, co-workers, parents and wife included was actually cast members, playing out a role. For those of you who are naturally paranoid – this movie could really get to you. There are always two sets of eyes that are always upon us. One set determines how we live in public. Those are the eyes of our family, friends, co-workers, and others of importance in our lives. What people see from us and in us is typically how our reputation is formed and remembered. Is that unfair? Probably. Quite often all it takes is one bad day or one unfortunate mistake and we can be marked for life and our reputation tainted. One of my favorite quotes comes from that lovable loser, Charlie Brown who was lamenting to Linus one day: “When I’m right no one remembers but when I’m wrong no one forgets.” However unfortunate or unfair that seems the truth remains – what people see determines how we are viewed. Living right in the open has its advantages! There is, however, another set of eyes and those are the ones that truly matter! One of my favorite verses says this: “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” (2nd Chronicles 16:9) I especially like the last part of that verse that says He is looking to strengthen those who are committed to Him. Although we certainly want people to think well of us – it matters most what God thinks of us. What people see during one of our bad days can often be misconstrued and misunderstood. The good news is that God weighs our motives and knows our intentions. It is easy to think, “No one will know the difference if I stretch the truth a little.” Or so we think. Lynn Austin, a writer for The Christian Reader, thought that way as well until an event in her life changed all that. The following is in her words: "Sometimes Satan makes a little white lie seem like an easy way out of a problem. I know. My five-year-old son had been looking forward to visiting the planetarium while on vacation, but when we arrived, we learned that children under six were not admitted. "Let's pretend you had a birthday," I told him. "If the ticket man asks how old you are, I want you to say, 'I'm six.'" I made him practice it until he sounded convincing, then bought the tickets without any problems. When the show ended, we moved on to the museum. There a large sign read, "Children 5 and under admitted free." To avoid the $5 admission fee, I had to convince my son to forget his pretend birthday. The consequences of my lie became apparent as we walked up the steps to our last destination, the aquarium. "Wait a minute, Mom," my son said with a worried look. "How old am I now?" It was then I knew that I had fallen for the "way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." (Proverbs 14:12) What do our lives look like when the “cameras” are not on us? I would venture to say that we are still being observed...so fair warning, but it is for your good – to be your strength!

Pastor J. T. Carnell