In concluding a recent Bible study with a friend, a verse came to my attention that really stood out. It comes from Hebrews 4:13: "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." What a wake-up call this verse should be for us! If God sees all my actions, knows all my thoughts and desires, then, how I live my life is of the utmost importance. This requires some self-evaluation on our part since we are often the only Bible some people will ever see or hear.
One of the first areas that comes to mind is our speech. Do we build up others and encourage or do we spend time gossiping and tearing down? Jesus said: "It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person" (Matthew 15:11). This is where we have to do a "mouth check" on a daily basis. Do we take the Lord's name in vain, do we curse or use vulgar language? If we do, what does this say about our walk with Christ? We have a new heart, a new worldview when we become a believer. The old has passed away....or rather, it is supposed to pass away. This is a part of our sanctification process. I know that in my own life I am challenged in this area when I am driving. I talk a good deal about others who are going too slow, cutting me off or going faster than they should on the road. However, God has called me out on this because I am not a perfect driver either. James puts it bluntly in his epistle: "...but no human being can tame the tongue, It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so" (James 5:8-10). Since we cannot tame the tongue in our own strength, this is where we need the help of God's Holy Spirit. Even when we stub our toe or hit our hand with a hammer, we need to watch what we say in response. Not only are those around us listening, but more importantly, God hears us. My daily prayer is: "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight always, LORD, my rock and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14).
Another area that we need to examine is our thought life and our desires. While we may not act out a murder or commit adultery overtly, how we think about another person makes all the difference. Do we wish someone would die so we can have our inheritance earlier? Have we desired another man's wife or husband? Even though, these are just thoughts and have not been acted upon, they are still sinful. Jesus makes this clear in the Sermon on the Mount: "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, 'You fool!' (or Raca in Aramaic) will be liable to the hell of fire" (Matthew 5:22). He goes on to talk about adultery as well: "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28). This is one reason the Bible tells us to be renewed by the transforming of our minds. When we become a Christian, we are a new creation. As we read the Bible, pray and fellowship with other believers, our words, our thoughts and our actions should all be different than when we are walking in this world. It certainly doesn't happen overnight. However, if it doesn't happen at all, then, we need to take a step back and evaluate whether we are a Christian.
Certainly, on this earth, we will never reach perfection and there will be missteps, but our lives should be producing fruit if we belong to Christ. The distinction is clearly made in the letter to the Galatians 5:19-22: "Now the works of the flesh are evident; sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control; against such things there is no law." Then Paul concludes this by saying in verse 25: "If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit." Indeed, this is what Christ has called us to do.
People watch us every day and how we live before them speaks louder than words. Perhaps, this is a new thought for you as it has been for me. I am reminded of the children's song "Be Careful Little Eyes What You See". It goes on to mention ears, tongue, hands, feet, heart and mind. Why should we be careful? "For the Father up above is looking down in love...." He is our audience of One who sees us and knows all our thoughts. Let us live so we can be a light and salt to others here...not a hindrance. This will glorify our Father in heaven. Selah!
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