1 Corinthians 8:8-9
But fortunately God doesn’t grade us on our diet. We’re neither commended when we clean our plate nor reprimanded when we just can’t stomach it. But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a fellow believer still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
A man was found dead recently in a hot tub at a residence in Northwest Arkansas. The homeowner possessed an Amazon Echo…a hands-free voice-controlled speaker. When someone says, “Alexa” or “Amazon” (the names assigned to this device), the machine begins recording your questions or comments, and a response is then given. It’s sort of an “in-home Siri” for those who have a smart-phone and are familiar with this feature. Police want to confiscate the Amazon Echo device as evidence in this particular death. They want to examine this device to see if anyone in the home the night the death occurred might have said something that was recorded. Amazon is refusing to comply, citing privacy concerns.
Let’s just label this the monthly “People Are Watching” devotional! We apparently need plenty of reminders about this idea, because related scriptures pop up in my outline every few weeks.
Here’s the thing…a lot of us think that what we say and do in the privacy of our own home or car is our business…that nobody should know – or care. In truth, we are now surrounded with surveillance. Unless you have been under a rock, you know that you can be hacked, observed, followed and monitored – even as you sit and read this devotional! I don’t mean to make us paranoid - and you can Google ways to protect yourself from hackers and other “spies” at home and online. But the bottom line is that people.are.watching…and this SHOULD affect how we conduct ourselves at all times.
Our Timothy is particularly astute. Tell him something once…and he never seems to forget. He is also extremely observant. So the old notion of “Do as I say – not as I do” confuses him to no end. And honestly…this should be a signal to us as “grown-ups” that we cannot play this both ways. We cannot call people names and expect our children – or anyone we encounter – to refrain from doing this. If you have ever watched a little kid pretend to “smoke” a “cigarette,” you know that they already assume that SOMEDAY, this will be okay for them in reality. Actually, just sit quietly sometime and watch and listen as your kids play. Most likely, you will get a pretty good picture of how you sound and act in their presence…and it might be pretty enlightening!
At every turn, we need to examine what we say and do…and how we behave. We should continually be asking ourselves if anything about our demeanor could cause someone else to sin or backslide. Yes, God is in the business of forgiving us when we “fall short”…but our daily goal should be to never give Him a reason to have to do so! Most certainly, we should make every effort to conduct our lives in a manner that no one else is tempted to falter. We should be so steeped in self-control through the power and strength of Jesus Christ that others want the same kind of relationship with Him that we enjoy.
Is there something that you are saying or doing that could cause another person to be thrown off track? Could your words and actions actually result in distance between someone else and their relationship with Jesus? Perhaps we need to think of God as our own personal “Echo”…listening and recording everything about us – and act accordingly. Will this be the day that you give yourself a head-to-toe exam and discover where you might be exercising your freedom in the salvation of Jesus in a way that could be harmful to others? Will you then ask God to help you make necessary adjustments? Don’t you think you should?
©2016 Debbie Robus
But fortunately God doesn’t grade us on our diet. We’re neither commended when we clean our plate nor reprimanded when we just can’t stomach it. But God does care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a fellow believer still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
A man was found dead recently in a hot tub at a residence in Northwest Arkansas. The homeowner possessed an Amazon Echo…a hands-free voice-controlled speaker. When someone says, “Alexa” or “Amazon” (the names assigned to this device), the machine begins recording your questions or comments, and a response is then given. It’s sort of an “in-home Siri” for those who have a smart-phone and are familiar with this feature. Police want to confiscate the Amazon Echo device as evidence in this particular death. They want to examine this device to see if anyone in the home the night the death occurred might have said something that was recorded. Amazon is refusing to comply, citing privacy concerns.
Let’s just label this the monthly “People Are Watching” devotional! We apparently need plenty of reminders about this idea, because related scriptures pop up in my outline every few weeks.
Here’s the thing…a lot of us think that what we say and do in the privacy of our own home or car is our business…that nobody should know – or care. In truth, we are now surrounded with surveillance. Unless you have been under a rock, you know that you can be hacked, observed, followed and monitored – even as you sit and read this devotional! I don’t mean to make us paranoid - and you can Google ways to protect yourself from hackers and other “spies” at home and online. But the bottom line is that people.are.watching…and this SHOULD affect how we conduct ourselves at all times.
Our Timothy is particularly astute. Tell him something once…and he never seems to forget. He is also extremely observant. So the old notion of “Do as I say – not as I do” confuses him to no end. And honestly…this should be a signal to us as “grown-ups” that we cannot play this both ways. We cannot call people names and expect our children – or anyone we encounter – to refrain from doing this. If you have ever watched a little kid pretend to “smoke” a “cigarette,” you know that they already assume that SOMEDAY, this will be okay for them in reality. Actually, just sit quietly sometime and watch and listen as your kids play. Most likely, you will get a pretty good picture of how you sound and act in their presence…and it might be pretty enlightening!
At every turn, we need to examine what we say and do…and how we behave. We should continually be asking ourselves if anything about our demeanor could cause someone else to sin or backslide. Yes, God is in the business of forgiving us when we “fall short”…but our daily goal should be to never give Him a reason to have to do so! Most certainly, we should make every effort to conduct our lives in a manner that no one else is tempted to falter. We should be so steeped in self-control through the power and strength of Jesus Christ that others want the same kind of relationship with Him that we enjoy.
Is there something that you are saying or doing that could cause another person to be thrown off track? Could your words and actions actually result in distance between someone else and their relationship with Jesus? Perhaps we need to think of God as our own personal “Echo”…listening and recording everything about us – and act accordingly. Will this be the day that you give yourself a head-to-toe exam and discover where you might be exercising your freedom in the salvation of Jesus in a way that could be harmful to others? Will you then ask God to help you make necessary adjustments? Don’t you think you should?
©2016 Debbie Robus
