The red flag hits the ground. The referee spots a player breaking a rule that costs the team a fifteen-yard penalty. One player’s mistake pushes the team from a victory.
The watchful eyes of the referee flag the player’s mistake. In the same way, aren’t eyes watching Christians play the game of life? If one Christian makes a mistake doesn’t the Kingdom suffer?
There are eyes watching us.
We’re the church. Eyes are watching to see if our actions match the words they hear about our Christian beliefs. Eyes are watching to see how we interact with family, co-workers, friends, children, a store clerk, or a stranger. Eyes are watching to see how we handle health, financial, and relationship trials. Eyes are watching to see our response to national, world, and cultural events.
Who has the referee’s watchful eye? They can be family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, or a stranger God’s placed in that moment of time to watch us.
Why we don’t want a red flag.
Those watching a Christian shouldn’t throw down a red flag because the red flag belongs to the world. What they should see is that we’re different. And we’re different because we belong to Jesus. That’s a victory for the Kingdom.
Is this responsibility great? Yes. Are we living in a season we can’t afford to lose yardage? Yes. Did God place us here to play in the game of life? Yes.
So, how do we begin? How can we play the game of life so eyes watching us don’t see red flags but something different?
Let’s start here…
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3: 12, NIV)
Do these attributes remind you of Jesus? Do these attributes reflect the character of God? Jesus is not only our Savior but also our role model. If those watching us see a life of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience would this not be a win for the Kingdom? No red flag here.
The world doesn’t love—it seeks to kill and destroy—so its attributes are different. Compassion is replaced with self-love; kindness is now cruelty; humility is now pride; gentleness is now harshness and patience a passionate drive for temporal satisfaction—not eternal.
It’s the comparison that makes us different. This comparison brings a victory for the Kingdom.
What application looks like.
Let’s look at what this looks like in a job environment. The Christian is Jenny, a temporary worker, divorced, single mother and living paycheck to paycheck. Her boss is Margo, a tenured, six figure earning manager with a devoted husband.
This is life’s game…
Margo squealed with delight as she tells Jenny about her latest vacation with her husband. She’s telling Jenny about her spa treatment, sumptuous dining, breathtaking scenery, and future travel plans to vacation in Paris and Rome.
But Margo’s narrative is interrupted by an email from her boss, Carolyn, and her jovial vacation narrative turns into an angry tirade against Jenny.
Margo made an error on an expense report and blames Jenny, a temporary worker, because Margo views temporary workers as disposable commodities—not people.
During Margo’s tirade, Jenny maintained a demeanor of peace and patience and her response to the false accusation was humble and gentle. Margo was like a playground bully, but Jenny was the victor for Jesus. This quiet woman fought a battle and won because she reflected Jesus.
(Excerpt from “The Chronicles of Juston Sunday, a Christian’s walk to work on Monday”; N.E. Nauman, 2022, pg. 54.)
Do you think eyes were watching? Anyone in a job environment knows few things go unnoticed. No red flag here and the victory is the Kingdom’s.
Similar scenes are played out daily in the life of a Christian no matter what our circumstance or chapter in life.
We Pray
Eyes are watching us. We’re not yet perfect which is why we pray…
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” (Colossians 3: 12, NIV)
Father, we thank You for loving us. We thank You for choosing us and making us holy through Your Son.
Jesus shows us what it looks like to be clothed in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. As Your children we’re to clothe ourselves in these loving attributes. And when we wear them, eyes that are watching will see we belong to Jesus.
We grow weary living in an alien world and tempted to reach for the world’s easy fitting and in-style clothes. If the eyes that are watching see us in the world’s clothes—the Kingdom suffers because of one Christian’s mistake.
But You help us in our weakness…
We pray to remember who we are—we’re God’s chosen, holy and dearly loved children. We belong to You—not the world.
We pray for heightened awareness that eyes are watching our Christian life.
We pray to hear Spirit’s conviction when tempted to try on the world’s clothes.
We pray to daily clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
We pray to live a life that brings a victory for the Kingdom.
In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
A Question for My Sisters
Whose eyes are watching you?