Somebody's Watching You

Do you ever feel like you are being watched?  Not in the back in the day horror movie sense or the current day, Smart TV or Smart Phone sense, but in the day to day of life.

As Believers, I think we can all attest to the fact that people do watch us as we have been the recipient of either comments or actions that would say that we either annoy people, convict people or inspire people.

Years ago, we hosted a Backyard Bible Club for the neighborhood kids.  It was well attended and very successful.   Even once the Backyard Bible Club was finished, in the days and months to follow, my daughter became the neighborhood backyard evangelist.  :-)

But it also had another lasting effect...

A Bible verse that was focused on one of the days of the Bible Club was, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness, Hebrews 9:22

The following day, I had an angry dad come up and ask me "What are YOU teaching these kids?!?  He was extremely offended by the "gruesomeness" of the verse.   For someone who is not a Believer, I can understand where he was coming from, and I was not upset with him for feeling that way.

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, 

making the best use of the time. 

Let your speech always be gracious, 

seasoned with salt, 

so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Colossians 4:5-6

 It was a great opportunity to share the Gospel with him, but it was not well received.  In fact, it pretty much severed his kids relationship with our kids.

In seeing what we believed, this neighbor was annoyed and did not want to associate with us anymore.

And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, 

able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. 

God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,

2 Timothy 2:24-25

He has since moved away, but I choose to believe that the Lord can redeem the convicting verse which offended him many years ago, and maybe I will one day see him in Heaven.


I seem to feel the most weight from those who are convicted by watching me.  People who know that I don't participate in worldly pursuits, in a non-judgmental way, but none-the-less which causes them to fade away from me or choose not to spend time with me.  It can be hurtful, especially when it is family or close friends.

If we endure, we will also reign with Him; 

If we deny Him, He also will deny us;

2 Timothy 2:12

choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God 

than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,

Hebrews 11:25

For what credit is there if, 

when you sin and are harshly treated, 

you endure it with patience? 

But if when you do what is right and suffer for it

 you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

1 Peter 2:20

And everyone who has left houses or brothers

 or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, 

will receive many times as much, 

and will inherit eternal life.

Matthew 19:29

Years ago, the Lord brought two new families into our neighborhood, both of which were Believers.  Our houses formed an angle, so to speak, around our unbelieving neighbor.   Although this unbelieving neighbor was an atheist, he would ask us a lot of questions about our faith.  It seemed as though our faith inspired him to think deeper and to consider what we believed in.   Plus the fact that our backyard evangelist daughter was best friends with his young daughter.  ;-)

We continue to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of Christ when we are around them and hope that they see Christ in us.

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel

Philippians 1:27a

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, 

a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1-2

As far as I know, they have not professed Christ, but with God, nothing is impossible. I mean after all, the Lord virtually surrounded this neighbor with Christians.  :-)

There is another way we are watched, and that is by those who would desire to see us trip up, either for kicks or to make themselves feel better about their own conduct.  Thankfully, I have no experiences like that to draw from, but that doesn't mean it won't happen.  I'm sure some of you have experienced this.

And indeed Daniel did...

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom;  and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.  Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.  Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.  Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

Daniel 6:1-5

I was so struck by the fact that Daniel's obedience was so evident, those that sought his demise knew that the only way they could bring him down was to ask Daniel to do something they KNEW he would not do.

Can that be said of us?  When people watch us, do they know that we won't go back on our Christ-centered convictions.  Or do we succumb to the sin that so easily entangles...

Most of us I'm sure won't participate in a drunken wild night out or use elicit drugs, but how many of us can get caught up in the sin of gossip and slander or joining in with complaining or a critical spirit, just to name a few...

Or how about on a spiritual level, what those Satraps did to Daniel is reminiscent to what Satan did to Eve in the Garden of Eden - only Eve succumbed...  "Did God really tell you you could not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil??".

Satan loves to exploit our weaknesses.  Knowing this, we must stand firm in the Promises of God, ESPECIALLY in the areas where we know we are weak, whether it be a besetting sin OR an inner struggle such as worry.  God WILL be faithful in His promises.  When we call upon those promises He WILL answer, and we WILL overcome!

I am purposing to study myself approved in the areas I struggle with by committing to memory those Scripture verses that will counter Satan's lies so that I can stand firm in obedience.  Won't you join me.

One last thought...   There is Someone else who is watching us - our Heavenly Father...

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, 

a worker who has no need to be ashamed, 

rightly handling the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, 

to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, 

holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Romans 12:1

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