[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during January 2024]
As is the case in society at large, at school there were various rules that we had to follow. There were rules intended to encourage a certain standard of behaviour, some rules to help preserve the sanity of the staff and other rules that seemed to have no logical purpose. There were even some rules intended for our benefit although we did not always see them that way.
Perhaps the most controversial were those rules which applied outside the school premises. These were often resented as we considered them to be outside the school’s remit, both geographically and socially. However, the reasoning was that even outside the school premises our uniform identified us and any misdemeanours would adversely affect the school’s reputation.
King David was aware of the potential effects of his behaviour. He wrote:
Don’t let me bring shame on those who trust in you, Sovereign Lord Almighty! Don’t let me bring disgrace to those who worship you, O God of Israel! Psalm 69 v6 [GNT]
We liked to think that we were free from those rules when we discarded the school uniform and behaved incognito. Can we apply the same logic in our spiritual lives? Most of us do not wear a uniform which proclaims our church affiliation but nevertheless we can often be identified as Christians. Our actions can attract outsiders or bring the church into disrepute and repel those who might otherwise be open to the Gospel. There is a well-known quotation attributed to Mahatma Gandhi:
“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
Is there a risk that our ‘out of uniform’ actions might reinforce that opinion? Can our behaviour become a stumbling block to people around us? The apostle Paul set out his own rule:
Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunities. Colossians 4 v5 [NET]
In practice we are never ‘out of uniform’. We cannot assume that nobody is watching, that nobody will notice. Early Christians were distinguished by their behaviour.[1] and surely that is something that we should try to emulate. Can you echo David’s prayer?
Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! Psalm 139 v23 [ESV]
References:
[1] Tertullian of Carthage, 160-225AD, see also John 13 v5
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Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author
Steve. A lot of the problems with India is because all Indians assumed that if you were English you were Christian! This is not the case, of course. My father once witnessed a young boy being kicked down a Calcutta road by a soldier who had a cup of tea spilt by him! Not a good witness to anyone. That decided him to support India leaving the empire.