Life in a Fishbowl

When I started the police academy one instructor came in and asked us if we were ready for “life in a fishbowl.” We stared blankly at him and at each other until he explained further. He said that we were about to enter a world where everything is watched and scrutinized. That it was like being in a fishbowl, on display for everyone to see. We were advised to always be conscious of our surroundings and to make good ethical choices because you never know who is watching. When I hit the streets, this became all too evident as almost everyone has a cell phone camera and they feel obligated to use it when they see police engaged with a suspect. Between that, dash cams, and now even body cams, even upper management can watch and scrutinize our actions from the comfort of their offices.

…Life in a fishbowl. No matter how many circles that fish swims, it can always be seen. As Christians, we need to realize that we also live in a fishbowl.

We are watched by others

I Thess 5:14 says, “We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” Watching each other isn’t just about judgment or correcting someone’s mistakes. Romans 14:13 says we are not to “judge one another anymore.” We are to encourage one another (I Thess 5:11), help the weak (Acts 20:35) and we are to be patient with each other (II Cor 6:6, II Tim 4:2).

We are watched by the world

We are all familiar with Matt 5:14-16 where Jesus says we are the light of the world. Our actions need to show the world that we place Christ as a priority in our lives. Paul writes “in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us” (Titus 2:7-8). We are to “deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:12).

We are watched by our children

Kids love to mimic, to imitate, and to be like adults, so the best way to teach them to be a good Christian is to be good Christians ourselves. The Bible provides many instructions for teaching/training our children. Prov 22:6 says to “train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs chapter four is all about a father’s instruction to his son. We must equip our children with ways to fight the evils of this world.

You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (II Tim 3:14-17)

We are watched by God

We tell our children all the time “God is watching you” but how many of us as adults actually act like God is watching us? It’s easy to forget that our Maker is always watching. “For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17). We will be judged for the things we do on this earth and that includes the things that we think no one sees. Romans 2:16 says, “on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” I Cor 4:5 says, “Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.” Psalms 44:21 says God knows the secrets of the heart.

I leave you with a passage from Hebrews which sums up everything we need to remember about this earthly fishbowl:

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:12-16)

Jeri Richardson

 

Letting Life Get In The Way

Life always moves at a frantic pace. It seems to me that I hardly have time to do anything with my schedule each week. But what does that say about me as a Christian? About us as followers of The Lord? How am I spending my time? How are you spending your time? When I actually slow down for a second and look at the way my job and other activities fill up my week, it makes me think seriously about how I’m budgeting my time. The Lord has blessed my life with many different things, but most recently, after graduating from college, He blessed me with a great career opportunity.

Over the past year, while this has been a great blessing, it’s just one example of something positive that the devil can use to negatively affect our walk with God. Whether it’s work, school, recreation, or anything else, there must be a balance. Each day, the world constantly tells us what should be important, whether it’s job status, wealth, popularity, or anything else. Sometimes I find myself falling into this line of thinking. If I’m really honest with myself, this all comes down to my priorities. Nobody is perfect. However, there is no excuse for prioritizing anything over our Lord and Savior.

“You shall have no other gods before me.” – Exodus 20:3

We’re all familiar with the ten commandments, and this seems like a pretty easy one to keep, but in reality, this is one that can sneak up on us.

We could have perfect attendance at church and say a prayer before bed every night, but still be worshipping other things. How are we truly worshipping Him throughout each day? Is it just a Sunday and Wednesday thing where we’re punching the clock and worshipping inside the building for a few hours? Or are we worshipping Him with each step we take no matter where we are?

This doesn’t mean we can’t work hard at our careers, or have any fun at all. It comes back again to our priorities. I can work hard at my job each week and even put in overtime, but if I’m so focused on getting to the top at work that I don’t even pick up my Bible once outside of church during the week then something’s gotta give. If I didn’t pray today because I was too busy texting my friends or checking Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter then I’m putting my social life before my relationship with the One who created me. It doesn’t seem like a big deal because it’s not like I’m stealing something. It’s not like I’m committing murder or adultery. It’s just my daily life! Right?

It might not be as obvious but this is something that we can’t take lightly as God’s children. It’s easy for me to sit here and talk about how these things effect our relationship with The Lord, but how do we fight this deceptive sin that we might not be fully aware of until we put our lives on pause and look at what we spend our time on?

A few simple things can help us avoid the trap of worldly life:

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” – Psalm 119:11

First: Dive in daily. What I mean by that is to jump into God’s word each and every day. Even if it’s not a lot, just reading a verse or two can help shape your entire outlook on a given day. Reading His word puts us in the right mindset and helps keep us on the straight and narrow.

Pray without ceasing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Second: Talk to your Father. Don’t neglect the one person who will be there no matter what. Often times, when worldly troubles, or life, gets in the way we talk amongst our coworkers, friends, and family. Instead, both before our life interferes, or after, we should be constantly talking to God each and every day.

“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” – Psalm 127:2

Third: Remember the importance of rest. Just stop everything every now and then and give yourself a chance to reflect and rejuvenate from the busyness of your day. If we don’t ever take time to separate ourselves from the daily rush we might get lost in it. Time of reflection happens to also be a great time for prayer and reading God’s word.

Misplacing God on the list of our priorities is something that is a very real threat to our spiritual walk with Him.

Derek Land

 

Welcome to Pursuing The Path Blog Site

This blog site was created to allow the members of the Northwest church of Christ a place to post articles intended to keep our minds focused on what is important in this world: living a God-centered life and striving every day to be more Christ-like.

The plan is to have a new article written every two weeks by a different member of the Northwest church. The articles will be on various topics and feedback is welcomed. If there are articles that you might like to see which cover certain topics, please let us know.

We hope that you will bookmark this page and check back often! If you are in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, we hope you will look us up at http://www.pursuingthepath.com and stop in and see us some time.