You likely recognize today’s verse as the Golden Rule. Do unto others . . .. We’ve all heard it since we were children. It is behavioral advice given by Jesus, basically the rails we are to run on. I want to tell you another little story today which raises the remembrance of this golden pathway.
Recently, several of us went to look at a house that was newly on the market. Two of the friends are real estate agents so it gave them a chance to preview the house for their clients. Everything was fine, for a while, and then one person said, “What is that?” She was hearing a crackling sound. She kept on hearing it. Finally, we heard someone talking. It turns out that the sellers of the house were watching us on their ring cameras.
It was pretty creepy, like a Peeping Tom who follows you around. Every time we went around a corner, we could hear the play by play of where we were. They didn’t realize that we could hear everything they said and there were some unkind things said. It was not a fun experience, but what made it all the more offensive was that these people are Christians.
First, this is not about judgment. There is grace for this. No, it’s more a case of, “There but for the grace of God, go I.” I would like to think I wouldn’t make that particular mistake, to snoop on people, but how easy is it to set a foot wrong because we don’t consider our actions in advance. The sellers sent a very nice and humble apology, but what got them in trouble, and probably happens to many of us, is that we fail to consider, in advance, the consequences of our actions. The most troubling thought is that our Christian ethic can be unintentionally, and so easily compromised.
We host the presence of God. Each one of us it a God carrying vessel. How is it, then, that our faith and our beliefs can be so easily sublimated to vain, worldly motivations? Why doesn’t the presence of God within us, guard against foolish worldliness? Consider for a moment, each one of us has the very presence of God within us and yet we all stumble and sometimes in ridiculous fashion. Philippians 2: 12 reads, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Jesus is our salvation, there is nothing we can do to earn salvation, so what was Paul referring to here?
We know that saying the sinner’s prayer does not complete the transformation process within each of us. Paul wrote, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect,” (Romans 12: 2). Our hearts and minds need renewing.
My point is this; none among us wants to make a mistake which taints our Christianity. Unfortunately, we do make those mistakes. What is it that we need in order to protect our hearts and minds and to make our thoughts of Christ spring to our minds? What are the guardrails? Is it prayer, Bible study, church attendance, or something else? I would like to hear from you. Will you leave a comment below and share what tools you think we need?
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Be Blessed!