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Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:15-17
There’s an old song I remember singing in Sunday School that went something like this:
O be careful little eyes what you see
O be careful little eyes what you see
There’s a Father up above
And He’s looking down in love
So, be careful little eyes what you see
The song went on to remind us to be careful about the things we hear with our ears, do with our hands, say with our mouths and go with our feet. It is important to remember that the God of the universe, the King of Kings and Lord or Lords is with us wherever we go. He hears what we say, sees what we do and goes where we go.
One would think that the fact that our Heavenly Father is with us 24/7 would keep us from doing things that displease Him, but it doesn’t. We still say things that are hurtful. We still use God’s name in vain, and look at things we shouldn’t look at. We still hurt people physically, emotionally and spiritually. Sometimes the hurt we place on people is unintentional. Sometimes it’s well thought out and brutal. Either way it not only hurts the other person, it hurts our Heavenly Father, who continues to love us in spite of our reckless behavior.
As you travel along the path of life remember that not only is Your Father watching what you do, other people watch you as well. Your words and actions, the places you go and the things you do are all a reflection of what God is like. Just as the moon is a reflection of the light of the sun, each of us should strive to be a reflection of God to others.
The bad news is, we’re all human. We all fall far short of the ability to reflect Christ’s love 24/7 to those around us, especially those around us who are hurtful, angry, judgmental and vindictive.
The good news is that our Father in Heaven knows we can’t possibly be a perfect reflection of Christ to others. He loves us anyway, even when we are being poor reflections! He’s willing and able to forgive us no matter how many times we fail Him…and others. He is the God of second and third and fourth chances.
When you fail [and you will!] remember that you can come to your Heavenly Father and be forgiven. When others fail you, don’t allow their attacks to affect how you feel about yourself. God and God alone is your judge and He’s a fair, loving and merciful judge who not only knows your weakness but is willing to help you through the struggle.
PRAYER: Father God. Every day I get out of bed with the determination to be a perfect reflection of your love and mercy. Every day I fail in what I say, listen to, or do. I get hurt by those I love the most and retaliate to those who hurt me. Please help me to live in the wisdom that comes from you so that I can be a perfect reflection of your love. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! James 3:10 (NLT)
We may not realize how much our ‘talk’ tells others about our ‘walk’! A friend of mine told me of a job he had in college. While he was very strong in his faith, he wasn’t the type of person to ‘push his beliefs’ on other people. In the course of conversation he was never afraid or ashamed of sharing his faith, but he was rarely the type of person who would start a conversation with his faith. He’d seen too many people get pushed off by the ‘Bible-thumping, religious zealots’.
After three weeks on the job he smashed his finger while trying to dislodge a part from the machine he was operating. As he tells the story, he pulled his hand back and, ‘in his mind’ said a couple words that he probably shouldn’t have said, then shook it off and went back to work.
A couple minutes later a co-worker came up to him. He’d befriended this guy during breaks and always walked away with his ears ringing from the expletives that came from this man’s mouth. It seemed like every other word was a swear word or a cuss word. The man mentioned that he’d been watching my friend during the episode that just happened. He said something like, “You know, I did the same thing last week and swore a blue streak. You didn’t say anything. I got to thinking I’ve never heard a bad word from you. What’s with that?”
My friend shared openly that because of his faith in Jesus Christ he’d made a decision that he would never use language that would embarrass or offend Christ, no matter what the situation. The man was shocked and said, “I’ve known lots of Bible thumpers, but they still swear when things don’t go their way or else they send me on some guilt trip for the way I talk.”
The men went back to work but a friendship had begun. Over the ensuing weeks and months the man’s language became less intense (at least while my friend was around), and he even attended church with my friend a couple times. Several months later he accepted Christ as his personal savior.
Whenever my friend tells this story, he adds how thankful he is that he guarded his mouth that day. Because of that, he was able to bring Jesus to someone else.
Each of us needs to constantly remember that our words speak much louder to others about who we are. The way we react to the crabby clerk in the store, or the ‘inept’ server in the restaurant is a testimony of what Jesus means to us.
James tells us to guard what we say. The same lips that sing praises to God on Sunday should never ridicule or verbally attack others during the week! Guard what you say and how you say it. You never know who may be watching and listening to you.
PRAYER: Father God, I confess to you that it’s way too easy for my lips to slip. Sometimes I say words that are not pleasing to you. Other times I’m critical of others, either to their face or behind their back. I realize now that this isn’t pleasing to you. Forgive me for the struggle I have with words. Empower me through your Spirit to speak gracefully to and about others for your sake. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 