About a week ago something struck me as I was doing something fairly mundane.  It wasn’t anything important, in fact it was 2am when it hit me and I was struck with the thought.  Would I want to be doing this if Jesus were to come back right now?  So a few nights passed and I was lying in bed and the thought came to mind again.  Would I want to be doing this if Jesus came back right now?  It was then that I realized perhaps I was supposed to write a blog about this very topic.  Because this is really how we should be living…as if Jesus were to return at any moment and when he does is he going to find you honoring Him with your words and deeds?  That night I was lying there and I was thinking of all the things that I might do that if I were to check myself against that thought, if I would still do it and I began to realize that there are many things that I do, rather innocently, that I wouldn’t do if my Lord and Savior were standing next to me and it began to affect me quite deeply.  I began to think, if I don’t think Jesus would approve of these things, then why do I do them?  Fast forward to late Tuesday night.  I was sitting in bed, checking Facebook and Twitter when I get a Tweet.  It was an innocent one liner type joke referencing one of Charlie Sheen’s latest overly used terms.  I giggled and replied with what I thought was an equally innocent one liner that brought its own giggles.  I then made up another one liner, again, innocent all be it slightly more lame, and posted it as a status on my Facebook. After I posted it, I had this feeling that I had done something wrong and it was at that moment I realized I had missed the point of the message God had been placing on my heart for this blog.  You see, just that morning, I prayed for  Charlie Sheen…that God would put someone in his life, to speak into it and help lead him back to some sense of stability before the next lead story we hear is about his death. I had also, the day before, posted something similar on my aunts page and just an hour or so before this joke had posted on a friends site about how the media if they would stop giving him the attention he is thriving on, his fan base would dry up as quickly as it popped up.  Yet here I had just quite hypocritically posted a joke about him.  Now some people might say it was just little joke, what’s the harm.  Well, how would you feel if he was your brother and you read my joke making fun of him?  Or how would I feel if my post was the last straw for him or the post that set him off?  So I thought…why did I not ask myself…would I want Jesus to read this joke before I posted it?  Because if I had, I would not have posted it.  So, for posting something that served to tear down a man instead of building him up in time of need I have to apologize.  And this is why I remind everyone that you should always ask yourself even in the most mundane of times…”Would I want to be doing this if Jesus were to come back right now”. 

Think about how this affects the things we do in our lives.  You’re taking a test at school and you have the opportunity to cheat…would you want that cheat sheet on your lap if Jesus were to sit down next to you?  You’ve just been handed change for a $20 at the store when you only handed the cashier a $10…would you walk out if Jesus was standing there with you in line?  Your doing your taxes and you realize the charity you gave to left the dollar amount you donated blank…you only gave $100 but if you claim $150 you won’t have to pay any taxes this year…do you inflate the donation?  If you can answer yes to any of these questions then you need to take some time out and dive into the scriptures because Jesus is pretty clear about what He would do and what He expects us to do.  

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”   Matthew 22:37-40

 When he says to Love God and Love People, He’s saying to honor them both with your words and your actions and to do any of the things above dishonors both.

Now, does jumping on the bandwagon and telling a joke about Charlie Sheen make you a horrible person?  No, it makes you human.  We’re all imperfect people, living in a dying world, but together we can help recognize that these things are what divide us and tear us down and then we can work on helping to build each other up in Christ

11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 12 Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.    1 Thessalonians 5:11-15

However, if you are in the habit of doing the things I’ve mentioned and fail to recognize it as a problem, then you risk not only separating yourself from God, but becoming the fodder for others like yourself.

 Love in Christ,
David