To the Glory of the God Who Sees
We live in a day and age where watching people live out their spontaneous daily life on reality shows has become as exciting as watching actors, with prewritten lines, in dramas. We, the audience, can observe and even judge from our viewing screens, the attitudes, actions, and words of real people.
Imagine for a moment if the eyes of the viewing audience were turned on you. If every day, cameras followed you from place to place and hidden speakers caught your every word. What if you were aware the audience watching; knowing it was not just people who didn’t know you, but those who knew you well such as your family, close friends, your boss, neighbors, coworkers, the police, and even those who would wish ill on you… your enemy. Your every action and word seen by probing eyes. Would that change the way you lived out your day? How you spoke? Where you went? What you did? Would you think twice before going over the speed limit or speaking poorly about someone behind their back? On social media we can post what we want people to see about us, but what if anyone who wanted to, had full exposure to our everyday living?
I think it is safe to say many of us would live our day out differently. We would try to avoid gossiping, treat others more gently, most likely avoid speeding on the highway, and perhaps… most importantly, see ministry from a whole new perspective.
Scripture reminds us that there is an audience viewing us…
“You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways." Psalm 139:1-3
The God who made all of existence, including us, sees us! Check out the next verse…
"Before a word is on my tongue, You, Lord, know it completely.” v.4
He sees to the very depths of our mind and motives.
As a pastor’s wife, I’ve served in ministry alongside my husband for almost 26 years now. Many people would view this ministry as a quiet one; my husband is in the spotlight and I am sitting on the front row cheering him on. I have to confess, I’ve never really looked at it that way. While my ministry may not be viewed by the congregation every Sunday morning, it is viewed by God all the time. His eyes are what matter to me. He sees me praying over the phone for a mother who has a wayward child, having led children in worship to music, delivering a meal to a family in need… even sharing a Bible verse with the cashier at Walmart who is having a bad day.
What does it mean to minister. According to the dictionary online, it is defined as “attend to the needs of (someone), care for, look after. ” God has gifted each of us with the ability to serve one another. This could be a dear friend, a stranger, the police, or even an enemy. There are various forms in which the serving is done from giving gifts and acts of helping, to speaking the truth in love and praying for them. Listen to what Peter says in 1 Peter 4:10-11…
As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Knowing that the God who made you, and gifted you, with an ability to care for others for His glory, sees you at this very moment, should affect the way you live out this day. He is aware and has a vested interest in what you do. Be encouraged, your service, whether appreciated by human eyes or not, is recognized by the One that matters and the One who sees has equipped you ever so beautifully for the task. Serve on! :)
