Remember growing up as a child, when you might be doing something you should not, and you would hear someone say, “Your mom is watching you?” That phrase was a guarantee for instant good behavior! It is always easier behaving when someone is watching. Such an attitude can also carry over into adult activities as well. Before Karen and I married, while working for a company called Stromberg-Carlson, one of my coworkers was always doing something other than work, until word passed through the ranks our supervisor was coming to our department. Then he was the model of efficiency.
It is possible for this attitude to carry over into our spiritual life as well. It is easy to put on our nice garments, sit in the assembly and sing with fellow Christians, bow our heads reverently during prayers, open the Bible for the sermon and sit quietly while the Lord’s Supper is observed. Yet, what about when none of our brothers and sisters in Christ are with us? What are we like when we are alone (even though we are never alone, as God always watches over us)?
The formation of Christian character is developed, not just when we are with other Christians, but when we are living it on our own, in the arena of everyday life. How we face both the blessings and challenges life provides is what molds and shapes us in the image of Christ. How we deal with the daily routine, and the challenges that can come with it, is what often determines the type of Christians we are.
A good illustration of this is found in the life of David. Remember when he was sent by his father Jesse to check on his brothers, as they were part of the forces mustered to deal with the threat of Goliath? There was righteous indignation on his part from the words of Goliath against Israel. He volunteered to face the giant in the name of the Lord, even when King Saul himself was afraid to do so. Saul was skeptical of his ability, and said to him, “You cannot go fight this Philistine. You are just a youth, and he has been a warrior since he was young” (1 Samuel 17:33). However, David spoke of his experience tending sheep and the threats that sometimes would come from a lion or bear. He told Saul, “Your servant has killed lions and bears; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God” (17:36). I imagine there was a lot of boring routine to tending sheep, taking them to pastures for feeding, water to quench their thirst, grassy areas to rest, etc., but what he learned from the routine helped him face the challenges of danger that threatened the flock’s survival, and now, what he had learned from everyday living would help him face the challenge of Goliath.
Spiritual growth does not just happen on Sundays, but on Mondays through Saturdays. It is not just when we are surrounded by fellow Christians that we should live the Christian life, but in the everyday routines, when only God is there to watch. How much a part our faith plays in the everyday aspects of our lives determines the part it will play in the challenges of our lives, which really defines who we are in Christ? The fellowship we enjoy on the Lord’s Day, and other times we are around fellow Christians, is wonderful, but who we really are spiritually is defined by how we live every day. What Paul encouraged slaves to do in the first century is still good advice for us in the twenty-first century. “Do not work only while being watched, in order to please men, but as slaves of Christ, do God’s will from your heart” (Ephesians 6:6).
Look at everyday living as an opportunity for Christ. If He is an integral part of the everyday, He will be there as an integral part of your life when trials come your way. Then, the life Christ forms in you each day will make our time of fellowship that much sweeter. Is Christ a part of your everyday routine? “Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men, knowing that you will receive the reward of an inheritance from the Lord — you serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24).
