CassieHave you guys ever had an embarrassing moment?
I can think of one of mine.
I was at work, Starbucks, running the drive thru window. The lady at window was waiting on her venti extra hot 8 pump nonfat no foam chai tea latte. When it was handed to me by a fellow barista to pass out the window, I turned back to the customer in her car, and, just as I did, the low milk fridge just next to me randomly opened, as it often does, and I tripped, the latte flying; open, and all over, and in, the customer’s car.
I tried to make the moment right by apologizing profusely, going outside to clean her car, and giving her a gift card. Blessedly, the woman was very kind.
But I was definitely embarrassed!
What do our embarrassing moments often have in common? I think one is the fact that someone else, or SOMEONES, are around and watching, right? We’re afraid of what someone else is going to think, or how they’re going to react to something we’ve done. We’re not embarrassed if no one is watching.
And why is that? Why is it that our feelings, or what we do, are affected by others’ reactions?
Today we are talking about integrity. This is summed up to be the kind of person you are when no one is watching.
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. PROVERBS 10:9
When we have an audience, or when other people are watching, we might behave differently than when we don’t.
- Are there perhaps some things that maybe we do around friends that we wouldn’t do around a teacher?
- Have you ever talked to someone who is very kind to your face, but not so nice behind your back?
Being two different people in different settings is never something we want to be. God always wants to help us to be more like Him, One perfect person with One perfect way, and He is always here for us. We don’t want to look like different people in different situations, but rather, we hope to have the omni-perfect love, grace, patience, and perseverance of Jesus Christ. Part of having integrity is being the same kind of person, having godly character at all times, putting other people first, and having a caring attitude. This is impossible without God and His Holy Spirit.
And, guess what?
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever! HEBREWS 13:8
And we can pray to Him at all times so we’re not tempted by any new situation or person to behave in a way that doesn’t reflect Him.
So, Jesus Christ never changes. But EVERYTHING ELSE in this world does. Every”thing” in your daily life changes, in fact, and will forever change.
Hashtags change,
styles change,
friends change,
clothing trends change,
But JESUS CHRIST and HIS LOVE never has and never will. He never has failed and never will fail. And He wants each one of us to be the same person in character too, every day, exalting His name and shining His love.
It is time that we reckon our lives as being lived for an audience of only One, because this is the Truth. That’s what Jesus calls us to, and knowing that He is always present, always loving us, the only Person who will ever be with us forever.
“Integrity is who you are when no one is watching–” but there never really is a time that “no one” is watching, because God is always with you, guiding you, and on your side. Live for HIM.
