Close Watch

“You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do” Ps.139:2-3.

What do the people closest to you feel? Do they feel an overwhelming awareness of your love or do they feel an overwhelming awareness of your criticism? If you are married, the closest person to you is your spouse. So how does your spouse really feel around you? Does he or she have an overwhelming awareness that you love him or her? If they don’t, then you need to repent today. I know this might be somewhat uncomfortable but it is so that you can make the needed adjustments. Singles, you are not exempt from this because you have friends. Jesus was single; I am pointing this out because it is easy for single people to throw a pity party about their status. Although Jesus was single, He had friends and He could show them love. The people that are closest to you, what do they feel? Do they feel an overwhelming love or do they feel an overwhelming criticism? Guess what? What they feel is directly proportional to how close you are to Jesus because you cannot give what you don’t have. Hurting people hurt people. All you have is hurt and so all you do is hurt. But if you have embraced the love of Jesus and you are filled with the life of Jesus, what will overflow from your life is love. When you really come close to Jesus, you are overwhelmed by His love for you. And invariably, the people around you are overwhelmed by His love through you to them.

Many of us agree that God is with us but we just don’t understand why. Why is He following me around? The Presence of God is so critical. I have had to visit people’s houses and there is pandemonium three seconds before I enter. Why? They are trying to put things in order. I once was speaking with a young man who was puffing away on his cigarette. It didn’t bother me that he was smoking because I knew his problem is Jesus and not that cigarette. Then someone who knew me saw me and said, ‘Hello Pastor’. I exchanged pleasantries and by the time I returned to my conversation with the young man, the cigarette was gone. What happened? Just knowing that he was talking to a Pastor changed things. How do you think you would behave if you really knew Jesus is near? All the sins disappear? Jesus is watching you. Imagine if your Pastor follows you everywhere for a week. All the compromises you would let slide, would suddenly disappear. But guess what? Jesus is greater than your Pastor and Jesus is near. What empowers you to be able to live a life of purity? Jesus is near and Jesus is watching you.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, I ask that You give me an overwhelming awareness of Your Presence around me and let it purge me of everything that doesn’t glorify God, in Jesus Name.