Friday 6/20/14
It had to have been a long, long time ago but I still remember some of the silly little quotes children would tell one another, mostly girls of course. One of them was “For shame, for shame, everybody knows your name.” I wonder if any of you who are reading this blog today remember hearing or even saying this line yourself. If you remember, please let me know. I realize I may slowly be going loony so it would encouraging to know that I just didn’t dream or imagine it.
Well, today due to the emergence of the world of social media, we’ve gotten to the point where just about everybody knows our name, even if we are not subscribed to Facebook, Twitter, and the like. I especially feel badly for all the people who are in the limelight, such as movie and TV stars, politicians, and sports heroes. Not only is it very difficult for these folks to lead normal lives and enjoy a reasonable amount of privacy, people today can be brutal and unforgiving. It seems like they are just waiting for one of these personalities to say something amiss or to be seen in questionable places or situations so they can pounce on them. Though in a much smaller scale, that should serve us as a reminder to be more careful where we go, who we’re seen with, what we say, or where we choose to pose for pictures, including “selfies.” No matter how hard we may try, we won’t always succeed in keeping all our affairs private. Still, we need to make a sincere effort so that we don’t harm ourselves, our loved ones, and more importantly, that we don’t tarnish God’s name and reputation.
We can’t forget that while, as Christians, we are free from condemnation (See Romans 8:1) and have the liberty to live our lives as we see fit, we have to be careful, as 1 Corinthians 8:9 says, that the exercise of our freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. In today’s world, this means to me that I must be more aware of the things that I’m saying and doing, the places where I may be seen, and the people I choose to associate with. One small mistake on my part may inflict pain and harm for those who may have been holding me as an example. The same applies to all God’s children. If you won’t watch your step for your own sake, at least do it for those who may be looking up to you.
Memory Verse for the week: (Ephesians 4:32) Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as, in Christ, God forgave you.
