I dropped off a packet at a friend’s house. It was a normal afternoon, the neighborhood seemed quiet, and as I walked up the driveway, I looked around and saw no one. Completing my mission, I retreated to my car and called my friend to inform him that I had just left the item by his front door. My friend surprised me, no, shocked me, by saying that he was watching me the entire time, from his office, several miles away. I thought nobody noticed! (The extent of my tech-savviness☹)In an age where privacy is prized highly, to realize that someone’s watching you, irrespective of whether you allow it or not, can be unsettling. Three times this week, different individuals told me, in different words, that they are being watched – as followers of Jesus. Watched at home, watched at school, and watched at work. What do others see?More often than not, people’s first introduction to the gospel goes like this: 1. Someone sees a follower of Jesus. 2. They study the integrity of the follower’s life, followed by the credibility of their actions. 3. They decide if the follower is trustworthy. Then, 4. They make a decision if they want to hear about the God who had transformed the follower.Some lives have substituted self-focused and comfortable living for a life transformed by the Gospel. And people all around are watching, whether we know/like it or not. What do they see? Our Lord Jesus said it this way: “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5: 13-16, MSG)😊
–Jeba Moses
