You are being watched. Don’t be alarmed, I am not talking about “creepy stalkers,” but especially if you are a parent, you are being constantly observed.
Since first becoming a parent, I discovered that I was under constant scrutiny. My first little one would copy what he saw us do and what he heard us say. I quickly learned that this was not always a good thing. My children were very accurate mirrors of not only my good qualities, but also my flaws. In fact, for whatever reason, they were like those magnifying mirrors when it came to our flaws as parents.
Much like the character ‘Roz’ in the movie Monsters Inc., my kids were always on the lookout. This would show up in some really cute ways too. The children would try to copy us and “help” with whatever we were doing. This would call for massive patience sometimes when I would just want to get a task done and my little helper was making it take twice as long.
It is not just our kids who are watching us though. The world is also constantly watching our lives to see if we act like they think “Christians” should. This of course, can be difficult too. People have various ideas of what followers of Jesus should look like and that doesn’t always line up with what Jesus Himself taught. In a good way, this puts pressure on sincere followers of His to stay close to Him and learn from Him how to live in this world. As we grow in our relationship with Him, hopefully others (and our children also) will be drawn into copying us and seek a relationship with Jesus of their own.
This leads me to some watching that we need to do for ourselves. We need to watch how we are living. What things do we allow in our lives? How do we talk to people? How do we treat others even when they are irritating and annoying? In this divisive culture we are living in, are we taking time to hear the other side and try to understand where they are coming from? In the garden just shortly before He was betrayed, Jesus implored His disciples to watch with Him and to pray. In our day now, it is every bit as imperative that we keep watch and pray–and do not fall asleep as the disciples did!
“Watch therefore, and pray always.” Luke 21:36
“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.” I Corinthians 16:13-14
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