Tuesday, April 3, 2012

When no one’s Watching


…For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.-1 Samuel 16:7 ESV

Everywhere I go, I see someone trying to impress others with their spirituality. It might be time for tuning at a concert, and someone will be sitting on the stage reading their Bible. It might be when I’m sitting in class, and see someone with their eyes scrunched closed and their lips moving.

But there’s one person who stands out from this crowd as truly Christ-like. His name is Nathan Johnson. No one really notices all the things he does, but I’ve noticed the small things he does every day. He enters the kitchen while everyone else is gone, asking if the cooks need help; he’s always the first to volunteer when they need someone to cleanup. He always does his work, and then helps everyone else with theirs, but instead of making a show of it, he quietly and humbly goes about his work.

I know that he is godly - not because he told me so, and not because he’s made a show of his spirituality - but because I’ve seen Christ in him. His quiet example has proved to me that he is a child of the King. In Mathew 6:6 it says” But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

I know that when I do something good, I usually want everyone to know about it. I find myself seeking man’s approval above God’s. It makes me question my motives. Do I really live to please God? Or am I living for my reputation? I may appear to be the most spiritual person in the school yet not be saved. I can go through all the motions, and yet have my heart still unconverted. If I truly love Christ I will be like Him, even when no one else is watching.