Somebody’s Watching You

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.  Matt 5

A few years ago a friend told me that they really respected my walk with the Lord. I say this not to boast, but to point out that if the person would not have told me, I never would have known they were paying attention. It seems they were evaluating my life and my walk with the Lord more closely then I realized. Many of you, at one point or another in your life, have heard the same thing from someone and you probably have been just as surprised. This could have even happened in a negative sense. Maybe you had stumbled a bit and someone told you that your actions let them down. Maybe your stumbling caused someone else to struggle with their faith. Most of us don’t like to think that we are being watched that closely, but like it or not, it is reality. We are all role models for somebody. Most of you can remember a time when you caught a young child mimicking your actions. You sat at the table with your arms folded on the table and noticed the child doing the same. When you moved one hand up under your chin, they did the same. It is just natural. People look to us and want an example to follow, or they look to us for inspiration.

Jesus tells His followers that they “are the salt of the earth” and that “they are the light of the world.”  As a follower of Jesus we have a chance to make a real impact on the world around us by living out His teachings. Living the way Jesus instructs us to live is winsome. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”  When we live out Jesus’s teachings, we become a living example of what God can do in a person’s life. When we love like Jesus commands to love, they see the love of God lived out in their world. Commit to living out Jesus’s teachings, and you will have an impact on your family, friends and coworkers. They are watching anyway, so you might as well show them Jesus.