The other day I was driving to the
shopping mall. Now I wouldn't say that I drive excessively fast,
but sometimes when the road is open I tend to drive faster than the
speeding limit. For example in a 60 km/h zone I would drive 80 km/h
easily or sometimes even 90km/h. That day I drove about 80 km/h in
a 60 km/h zone. But the next moment I noticed that a police vehicle
was driving right behind me. I had such a fright and slammed on the
brakes to get to 60km/h. Now I know that they were not following
me, they were by chance right behind me, but their mere presence
made me nervous and all of a sudden I wanted to obey the speeding
limit. They didn't do anything, but I felt guilty, because I know I
was in the wrong. This incident made me think, why is it that
people only obey when they know that they are being watched?
Another example is a classic one at
work. Have you noticed how everyone works faster and more efficient
when the boss is around? And the moment he leaves, almost everyone
tends to slack off. I would never forget that at my previous
employer, one of my colleagues would always work in the time when
he knows the boss is on holiday, and take leave when the boss is
back. And during the time that the boss is not there, he would
leave early from work, take extended lunch breaks and surf the
internet most of the day. Isn't it ironic that a lot of people are
that way? They only look out for their own advancement, and when
the one that can promote them is not there, they don't care about
the rest.
The Lord pointed out this concept
to me the other day. We shouldn't just act and work in the right
manner when we are being watched, because in actual fact we are
always being watched. The Lord is always, everywhere, watching our
every move. Now I am not saying He is like a policeman, but He is
our loving Father looking out for us. He wants us to act in a
manner that would reflect Him. After all He says in Romans
12:11:
"Never be lazy in your work, but
serve the Lord enthusiastically."
Proverbs 16:3 "Commit your work to
the Lord, then your plans will succeed."
We have a big responsibility as
Christians to reflect that we are indeed children of God. If we say
that we are His children, we need to act that way and reflect Him
to the world. And if we are not responsible in our work and our
everyday tasks, it can hinder other people in their faith. For
example it makes me very angry if people drive with 'Jesus
stickers' on the bumpers of their cars, and then they drive like
maniacs, pushing in in front of other motorists, skipping red
lights etc. Because then I think to myself, if I didn't know the
Lord personally, this will put me off from Christianity. If
Christians behave this way, I don't want to be one. So if you do
have a bumper sticker, that is great, but please remember to drive
like a Christian ought to.
Also at work, do your work to the
best of your ability, whether anyone is watching or not. The Lord
sees you and He knows your heart. He sees what you are doing and He
will bless you because of it. Even if you don't get a raise and the
one misleading the boss does, it doesn't matter, the Lord's
approval is more important than anything else in the world. And you
can be sure of blessings falling on you, whether it is good health,
clever children, a discount at the shops or treasures in heaven.
Don't fall into the trap of our materialistic world, but make the
Lord your main Boss. At the end of the day, you are only
accountable to Him and no one else.
Lord Jesus, please help us to be
better Christians in everything we do. Please help us to look up to
You and to follow Your holy example. You are the only One we want
to please. We want You to say to us: "Well done you good and
faithful servant. I am proud of you." Amen