I’ve mentioned before that I’m a history and documentary buff. Because I think it’s important, I periodically re-watch Ken Burns’ THE WAR, which is one of the most excellent bodies of work on WWII that I’ve ever seen. Just prior to the invasion at Normandy, Eisenhower issued a letter to all troops. There was a line in there that particularly struck me:
“The eyes of the world are upon you.”
And certainly they were. But what I found interesting is that this statement, now, today, is PROFOUNDLY accurate. We’ve never been more exposed to the world. Our comings and goings, our work and family life, even what we had for dinner, are broadcast, literally, around the world through umpteen social media outlets every second of every day. I don’t know about you, but because of this, I find myself considering which pit-stop or happening throughout each day is Facebook-worthy or would make the perfect Instagram shot. Like it or not, I have to admit that, with the world watching, I live a little differently. You, too, I bet. What would happen, I wonder, if we altered that famous line and lived out our moments under this fresh perspective:
“The eyes of God are upon you.”
For starters, we wouldn’t have to pick and choose what to share to make ourselves look good and interesting, since He already knows everything. Our every move wouldn’t be based on others’ perceptions, but just on God’s alone. He gave us an example of how to live in His Son, and though the world was certainly watching Christ, Christ paid complete attention to what His Father was telling Him. I’m thankful that it was God’s opinion that mattered most to Him; because of that, He was able to CHANGE the world…not just be a popular flash-in-the-pan who had cool parable-style status updates and awesome Instagrams of His dinner of fish and loaves.
I’m even more thankful that, living the same way, we can, too.
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” ~ Romans 12:1-2 MSG