“After looking in all
directions to make sure NO ONE WAS WATCHING, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid
the body in the sand” (Exodus 2:12 NLT)
When Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand, "HE LOOKED AROUND" to make sure “NO ONE WAS WATCHING”!
Be truthful and answer this: "Ever done something wrong when nobody was watching?" Before you attempt to think of a way to say “…not exactly…or see what had happened was…” Relax! We ALL Have! Whether We Admit It Or Not!
One Pastor says he counsels people whose business travel often makes them vulnerable. For example he says: “An executive finds that away from home she’s inappropriately flirtatious, even though she loves her husband and wants to remain faithful; A high-powered professional struggles with [sexually explicit images] in hotel rooms, even though he’s not tempted by them at home. The Internet sets innumerable ethical traps…By frequenting online chat rooms a wife becomes entangled in an emotional relationship with another man…a husband struggles with the availability of Internet pornography…The sense that no one was watching allowed them to sin in ways they would never sin in ordinary, Observed life.”
And That’s The Truth! I mean who would cheat in their bedroom with their spouse in the kitchen? Who would steal a watch while the salesman is standing right there looking them in the eye? What kid would take his mom’s wallet while she’s holding her pocketbook? What preachers kid is going to curse while the National Mother of the Mother Board is standing right next to them? Sounds silly, but it’s the truth! We Don’t Do Things While We’re Being Observed That We Would Do When Nobody’s Watching!
Have you ever seen a little kid that was told not to touch something? Watch Them! Because even at a young age, like Moses, they look around to see where you are! They know you said don’t touch it, but there is, even in youth, and sometimes especially in youth, a temptation to give it a shot anyway! And that’s with Knowing the Consequences!
Listen: I was a very strict parent with my daughters, especially while they were young. But like anybody eles’s children those little girls would definitely try my patience and see if they could get away with stuff!
For example: I never allowed my daughters to change the television. I put it on a channel, Appropriate For Their Eyes and Ears (hint, hint parents) and it stayed there until I Changed It! However, my oldest daughter felt like testing the waters, so she pulled out the bottom draw, stepped inside (because she was too little to reach the tv) reached up and attempted to change the television. Needless to say, the entire dresser, with the television, fell on top of her! Surprisingly, she didn’t have a scratch or a broken bone! And yes, I will be very honest with you and say her little behind had a meeting with my belt anyhow! Yep! Now some parents would probably say wasn’t the dresser and tv falling on her enough of a punishment? Well for me…NO! I made certain that she understood the double-portion consequence of doing what I said don’t do, Even When I’m Not Looking!
Now, you would think she would’ve learned her lesson…But…NOPE! This same daughter, I told don’t go in the kitchen, I’m cooking and there’s a hot pan of grease on the stove! I go to answer the phone, and what does my obedient daughter do? Reaches for a piece of chicken over the hot pan of grease! Needless to say, she hit the handle and the hot pan of grease hit the floor and splashed on her! Once again, God in His Grace and Mercy kept that crazy child from burns and bruises! And again, YES, her and my belt had another date!
Now I must say this same kid has always been a straight A student! Graduated Valedictorian of High School and made the Dean’s List in College! Never gave me headaches with boys, drugs, alcohol, rowdy friends, cursing or hanging out in the streets! And still for the life of me I could never figure out why would she do things that could hurt her especially when I’m no-where near to protect her! But then again, God must wonder why we do half the crazy stuff we do and we Know He’s There with Protection and Punishment! And still we push the envelope. And the worst part, we make additional attempts repetitively especially when we don’t have severe and immediate consequences for our actions! You see, it gives you the false impression of “I can get away with it…” But even if you do, it is only temporary! Even if man Never knows, Your Heavenly Father does, and before Him You Still Have to Give an Account! So Is It Really Worth It?
Listen: Don’t Allow the Temporary Feeling of Escape to Distract You! The Bible says, “There’s a way that looks harmless enough; look again – it leads straight to hell” (Proverbs 16:25 MSG) Don’t Let the Appearance of the Moment Make You Think That the Reality of Punishment Does Not Exist!
And so that I keep the scales even, I must say my youngest daughter didn’t fall too far from the tree either! I told this little girl don’t go near mommy’s curling iron, it’s hot! Needless to say, she still has the burn mark to prove curling irons really get hot! And YES, she too had a scheduled appointment with my belt!
Now, to be honest, I haven’t had to spank my children often, but the ones they got, I made sure they knew why and made sure they would never forget! The wonderful thing is whatever they received a spanking over, they Never Repeated! Guess My Daughters Have a Davidic Anointing…They May Sin Again But They Make Sure It’s Not The Same One!
Seriously, I share these simplicities of doing things when nobody’s looking because many of us have already damaged our lives and relationships because of walking into stuff Eyes Wide Open…Because We Thought Others Eyes Were Closed Shut! And we’ve suffered great consequences because of it! And if we can encourage one another about anything, let’s encourage one another to Maintain Character and Integrity Both In the Presence and Moreso In the Absence of Others!
The point is not others NOT seeing you, but the real concern is looking yourself in the mirror each day and having a clear and clean conscious about your own personal and public character! This is not for anyone else, but your own benefit! So that YOU are simply a Better YOU!
Think about it: We indeed have access to God in prayer, but aren’t you tired of 58 and half minutes of your prayer hour being devoted to Repenting?!
With that said, here’s a few things you need to realize:
1. GOD SEES YOU WHEN NOBODY ELSE DOES: When you couple that with a desire to please Him and not grieve Him, it makes a difference in how you act and behave. The Bible says, “From high in the skies GOD LOOKS AROUND, HE SEES all Adam’s brood. From where He sits HE OVERLOOKS ALL US EARTH-DWELLERS. He has shaped each person in turn; now HE WATCHES EVERYTHING WE DO” (Psalm 33:13-15 MSG) That’s Right, God Watches Everything We Do! So being caught or getting away with it by people is irrelevant! “AND NOT A CREATURE EXISTS THAT IS CONCEALED FROM HIS SIGHT, BUT ALL THINGS ARE OPEN AND EXPOSED, NAKED AND DEFENSELESS TO THE EYES OF HIM WITH WHOM WE HAVE TO DO” (Hebrews 4:13 AMP) Do you realize there is absolutely No Place To Hide From God?! You can’t go in the shower and close the door; you can’t go in the parking lot at midnight; you can’t go to a hotel out of town; you can’t wink an eye, share a hug, send a text, email or picture that GOD DIDN’T SEE FIRST! How’s That For Cleaning Up Your Act?! People of God, Heed the Admonishment: Even When Nobody Else Sees, God Is Always Watching What You Do, Say, Think, and even Feel! God Is Always Watching Where You Go, Who You’re With and What You Do! That Is Enough To Make You Want To Do Better! And if Not, Remember This: “EVEN HELL HOLDS NO SECRETS FROM GOD – DO YOU THINK HE CAN’T READ HUMAN HEARTS?” (Proverbs 15:11 MSG) Saints, Watch Yourself…Because God Is Certainly Watching YOU!
2. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERS: “The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong” (Psalm 37:30 NLT): If you know you’re vulnerable in a certain area, share it with someone who will pray for you and hold you accountable. (Believe it or not, nowadays there are even computer programs that will monitor your Internet activity and send a report to others you trust to keep you accountable). However, even that cannot compare to the Wise Counsel of Fellow Believers! The Bible shares, “Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances” (Proverbs 11:14 MSG); “Arrogant know-it-alls stir up discord, but wise men and women listen to each other’s counsel” (Proverbs 13:10 MSG); “Take good counsel and accept correction – that’s the way to live wisely and well” (Proverbs 19:20 MSG); “Form your purpose by asking for counsel, then carry it out using all the help you can get” (Proverbs 20:18 MSG); “It’s better to be wise than strong; intelligence outranks muscle any day. Strategic planning is the key to warfare; to win, you need a lot of good counsel” (Proverbs 24:5-6 MSG) Are You Getting This? Then Don’t Use the Excuse of “My Issue…My Struggle…” Instead, Take Your Issues and Your Struggles to Someone Who Will Give You Good, Sound Biblical Counsel and Wisdom Through the Word of God! There Is No Better Accountability Program Found Anywhere Else!
3. AVOID SITUATIONS THAT AFFORD YOU TOO MUCH PRIVACY: One woman closed her personal bank account and opened a joint account with her husband because her spending was out of control. God created you to live in relationship with others, and the more open and honest you are, the less likely you’ll be to stray. Now, there’s nothing wrong with passwords…when it’s your stuff you have the right and privilege to protect it. But when Everything of yours has a password, code and lock…something is terribly wrong! Sometimes Secure Is Dangerous Because it keeps Private what you need to get Purged! With that said, take a good hard look at WHY you lock your phone? WHY you lock your pictures? WHY you lock your text messages? WHY you lock your emails? Then ask yourself, if I left these things UNLOCKED would I be put to shame or shame the Holy God I serve? If your answer is yes, Unlock, Delete, Then Change! Remember: Even When Nobody’s Looking…God Is ALWAYS Watching! And Your Ultimate Goal Is Not Pleasing People…But Pleasing God! Therefore, If It Has To Be Hidden, It Has To Be Helped! Keep In Mind: God Has a Great Vision For Your Future…However, Sin Will Distort the View!
When Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand, "HE LOOKED AROUND" to make sure “NO ONE WAS WATCHING”!
Be truthful and answer this: "Ever done something wrong when nobody was watching?" Before you attempt to think of a way to say “…not exactly…or see what had happened was…” Relax! We ALL Have! Whether We Admit It Or Not!
One Pastor says he counsels people whose business travel often makes them vulnerable. For example he says: “An executive finds that away from home she’s inappropriately flirtatious, even though she loves her husband and wants to remain faithful; A high-powered professional struggles with [sexually explicit images] in hotel rooms, even though he’s not tempted by them at home. The Internet sets innumerable ethical traps…By frequenting online chat rooms a wife becomes entangled in an emotional relationship with another man…a husband struggles with the availability of Internet pornography…The sense that no one was watching allowed them to sin in ways they would never sin in ordinary, Observed life.”
And That’s The Truth! I mean who would cheat in their bedroom with their spouse in the kitchen? Who would steal a watch while the salesman is standing right there looking them in the eye? What kid would take his mom’s wallet while she’s holding her pocketbook? What preachers kid is going to curse while the National Mother of the Mother Board is standing right next to them? Sounds silly, but it’s the truth! We Don’t Do Things While We’re Being Observed That We Would Do When Nobody’s Watching!
Have you ever seen a little kid that was told not to touch something? Watch Them! Because even at a young age, like Moses, they look around to see where you are! They know you said don’t touch it, but there is, even in youth, and sometimes especially in youth, a temptation to give it a shot anyway! And that’s with Knowing the Consequences!
Listen: I was a very strict parent with my daughters, especially while they were young. But like anybody eles’s children those little girls would definitely try my patience and see if they could get away with stuff!
For example: I never allowed my daughters to change the television. I put it on a channel, Appropriate For Their Eyes and Ears (hint, hint parents) and it stayed there until I Changed It! However, my oldest daughter felt like testing the waters, so she pulled out the bottom draw, stepped inside (because she was too little to reach the tv) reached up and attempted to change the television. Needless to say, the entire dresser, with the television, fell on top of her! Surprisingly, she didn’t have a scratch or a broken bone! And yes, I will be very honest with you and say her little behind had a meeting with my belt anyhow! Yep! Now some parents would probably say wasn’t the dresser and tv falling on her enough of a punishment? Well for me…NO! I made certain that she understood the double-portion consequence of doing what I said don’t do, Even When I’m Not Looking!
Now, you would think she would’ve learned her lesson…But…NOPE! This same daughter, I told don’t go in the kitchen, I’m cooking and there’s a hot pan of grease on the stove! I go to answer the phone, and what does my obedient daughter do? Reaches for a piece of chicken over the hot pan of grease! Needless to say, she hit the handle and the hot pan of grease hit the floor and splashed on her! Once again, God in His Grace and Mercy kept that crazy child from burns and bruises! And again, YES, her and my belt had another date!
Now I must say this same kid has always been a straight A student! Graduated Valedictorian of High School and made the Dean’s List in College! Never gave me headaches with boys, drugs, alcohol, rowdy friends, cursing or hanging out in the streets! And still for the life of me I could never figure out why would she do things that could hurt her especially when I’m no-where near to protect her! But then again, God must wonder why we do half the crazy stuff we do and we Know He’s There with Protection and Punishment! And still we push the envelope. And the worst part, we make additional attempts repetitively especially when we don’t have severe and immediate consequences for our actions! You see, it gives you the false impression of “I can get away with it…” But even if you do, it is only temporary! Even if man Never knows, Your Heavenly Father does, and before Him You Still Have to Give an Account! So Is It Really Worth It?
Listen: Don’t Allow the Temporary Feeling of Escape to Distract You! The Bible says, “There’s a way that looks harmless enough; look again – it leads straight to hell” (Proverbs 16:25 MSG) Don’t Let the Appearance of the Moment Make You Think That the Reality of Punishment Does Not Exist!
And so that I keep the scales even, I must say my youngest daughter didn’t fall too far from the tree either! I told this little girl don’t go near mommy’s curling iron, it’s hot! Needless to say, she still has the burn mark to prove curling irons really get hot! And YES, she too had a scheduled appointment with my belt!
Now, to be honest, I haven’t had to spank my children often, but the ones they got, I made sure they knew why and made sure they would never forget! The wonderful thing is whatever they received a spanking over, they Never Repeated! Guess My Daughters Have a Davidic Anointing…They May Sin Again But They Make Sure It’s Not The Same One!
Seriously, I share these simplicities of doing things when nobody’s looking because many of us have already damaged our lives and relationships because of walking into stuff Eyes Wide Open…Because We Thought Others Eyes Were Closed Shut! And we’ve suffered great consequences because of it! And if we can encourage one another about anything, let’s encourage one another to Maintain Character and Integrity Both In the Presence and Moreso In the Absence of Others!
The point is not others NOT seeing you, but the real concern is looking yourself in the mirror each day and having a clear and clean conscious about your own personal and public character! This is not for anyone else, but your own benefit! So that YOU are simply a Better YOU!
Think about it: We indeed have access to God in prayer, but aren’t you tired of 58 and half minutes of your prayer hour being devoted to Repenting?!
With that said, here’s a few things you need to realize:
1. GOD SEES YOU WHEN NOBODY ELSE DOES: When you couple that with a desire to please Him and not grieve Him, it makes a difference in how you act and behave. The Bible says, “From high in the skies GOD LOOKS AROUND, HE SEES all Adam’s brood. From where He sits HE OVERLOOKS ALL US EARTH-DWELLERS. He has shaped each person in turn; now HE WATCHES EVERYTHING WE DO” (Psalm 33:13-15 MSG) That’s Right, God Watches Everything We Do! So being caught or getting away with it by people is irrelevant! “AND NOT A CREATURE EXISTS THAT IS CONCEALED FROM HIS SIGHT, BUT ALL THINGS ARE OPEN AND EXPOSED, NAKED AND DEFENSELESS TO THE EYES OF HIM WITH WHOM WE HAVE TO DO” (Hebrews 4:13 AMP) Do you realize there is absolutely No Place To Hide From God?! You can’t go in the shower and close the door; you can’t go in the parking lot at midnight; you can’t go to a hotel out of town; you can’t wink an eye, share a hug, send a text, email or picture that GOD DIDN’T SEE FIRST! How’s That For Cleaning Up Your Act?! People of God, Heed the Admonishment: Even When Nobody Else Sees, God Is Always Watching What You Do, Say, Think, and even Feel! God Is Always Watching Where You Go, Who You’re With and What You Do! That Is Enough To Make You Want To Do Better! And if Not, Remember This: “EVEN HELL HOLDS NO SECRETS FROM GOD – DO YOU THINK HE CAN’T READ HUMAN HEARTS?” (Proverbs 15:11 MSG) Saints, Watch Yourself…Because God Is Certainly Watching YOU!
2. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERS: “The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong” (Psalm 37:30 NLT): If you know you’re vulnerable in a certain area, share it with someone who will pray for you and hold you accountable. (Believe it or not, nowadays there are even computer programs that will monitor your Internet activity and send a report to others you trust to keep you accountable). However, even that cannot compare to the Wise Counsel of Fellow Believers! The Bible shares, “Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances” (Proverbs 11:14 MSG); “Arrogant know-it-alls stir up discord, but wise men and women listen to each other’s counsel” (Proverbs 13:10 MSG); “Take good counsel and accept correction – that’s the way to live wisely and well” (Proverbs 19:20 MSG); “Form your purpose by asking for counsel, then carry it out using all the help you can get” (Proverbs 20:18 MSG); “It’s better to be wise than strong; intelligence outranks muscle any day. Strategic planning is the key to warfare; to win, you need a lot of good counsel” (Proverbs 24:5-6 MSG) Are You Getting This? Then Don’t Use the Excuse of “My Issue…My Struggle…” Instead, Take Your Issues and Your Struggles to Someone Who Will Give You Good, Sound Biblical Counsel and Wisdom Through the Word of God! There Is No Better Accountability Program Found Anywhere Else!
3. AVOID SITUATIONS THAT AFFORD YOU TOO MUCH PRIVACY: One woman closed her personal bank account and opened a joint account with her husband because her spending was out of control. God created you to live in relationship with others, and the more open and honest you are, the less likely you’ll be to stray. Now, there’s nothing wrong with passwords…when it’s your stuff you have the right and privilege to protect it. But when Everything of yours has a password, code and lock…something is terribly wrong! Sometimes Secure Is Dangerous Because it keeps Private what you need to get Purged! With that said, take a good hard look at WHY you lock your phone? WHY you lock your pictures? WHY you lock your text messages? WHY you lock your emails? Then ask yourself, if I left these things UNLOCKED would I be put to shame or shame the Holy God I serve? If your answer is yes, Unlock, Delete, Then Change! Remember: Even When Nobody’s Looking…God Is ALWAYS Watching! And Your Ultimate Goal Is Not Pleasing People…But Pleasing God! Therefore, If It Has To Be Hidden, It Has To Be Helped! Keep In Mind: God Has a Great Vision For Your Future…However, Sin Will Distort the View!
“Character
is doing the right thing when nobody’s looking. There are too many people who
think that the only thing that’s right is to get by, and the only thing that’s
wrong is to get caught.” (J.C. Watts)
Much Love, Dr.Shermaine #InformativeRead #PleaseShare #HealthyBodySoulAndSpirit
"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)
"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)
"It's Not Selfish to Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself and to Make Your Happiness a Priority. It's a Necessity." (Mandy Hale)
"Self-Care is Not Selfish. You Cannot Serve From an Empty Vessel." (Eleanor Brown)
No comments:
Post a Comment