By Richard Boone
So you think you’ve gotten away with something you knew you shouldn’t have done. There was the fear of get- ting caught, yet at the same time the excitement of getting by with it. After a while you become confident, perhaps even a little arrogant, that no one saw what you did. Alas! You were spotted by someone who knows you, by someone whom you influence. Just when you were sure no one was looking, he was! You are not the first, nor will you be the last to have such experiences.
When Moses was 40 years old, supposing his Israelite brethren would understand (Acts 7:23ff), he killed an Egyptian who mistreated an Israelite. The next day when Moses saw two Israelites fighting each other, he attempted to reconcile them, only to learn that he had been seen as he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand the day before (Exod. 2:11-14). Like Moses, we frequently think that no one is really watching when, in fact, they are closely observing us. They want to see how we who profess to be Christians act and react in various circumstances in life.
They watch us in environments like . . .
The Workplace. We can build or quickly destroy our influence by our conduct on the job. Our language, behavior, honesty, etc., can serve as gauges of our sincerity and devotion to Christ. We must be circumspect (Eph. 5:15; Col. 4:5). When we think no one is watching us, at that moment someone has his eyes fixed on us to see what we will do.
The Home. How husbands and wives treat each other, how parents raise their children, how children treat their parents, how the extended family is dealt with, etc., are all indicators of whose we are and how well we are serving him. We may think no one is paying attention, but don’t be fooled!
On Vacations. Everybody needs a vacation occasion- ally, and most are quite enjoyable. But we can’t let our guard down in serving God and exemplary conduct. In fact, it may be possible to have a greater influence on someone while on vacation than when at home because they see that our Christianity has gone on vacation. When we maintain fidelity to God on vacation, just as we do when we are home (and this assumes, of course, that we maintain fidelity to God when at home), it speaks volumes to those who watch.
Wherever you are, in whatever you are doing, just when you think no one is looking — someone is!