Moment Of Truth
By: Kristen L. McNulty
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It was once said that "Character is who you are when no one is looking." There is great truth in that statement. Because it's very easy to do the right thing when you've got an audience, but what about when you don't? When that small voice whispers that the choice you're about to make doesn't really matter, because who else is there? And who does it hurt anyways?
Going down that path is an easy place to travel to. But what that little voice doesn't tell us is that one little choice when no one is looking matters just as much as a huge decision made in front of a crowd. Why? Because what we do defines who we are, in the secret or not.
It's actually those "small choices" made in hiding that truly define the kind of person that we are. The kind of Christian that we are.
When you're home alone, what kind of shows you watch, thoughts you think, and actions you do are who you are. It's not "unwinding", it's not "taking a break", it's not "being selfish for once". It's you and is that the kind of person you really want to be?
A person of integrity behaves the same way, whether the lights are on or off. That's the example that Jesus Christ gave us when He was tempted by the devil the in wilderness. Really, Jesus could have stumbled and fell and we would have been none the wiser. But by standing up to temptation He taught us two things. First off, the choices we make when we are alone do count. And secondly, where there is temptation, there is always a way out.
Those lessons aren't what satan would have us believe. He'd like nothing more than for us to toss away our character when no one is looking, but that's not what Christ wants from us. That's not what we should want for ourselves. Because with sin comes consequences. It dulls our hearts and leaves us with feelings of guilt and questions of self-worth. It can destroy the very fibre of our lives because sin usually doesn't come in single digits. One bad choice leads to two and two leads to five and five leads to a lifetime of being one person in the light and another in the dark. It's the very ground that hypocrites are bred on.
This devotional was aired as a part of the Making A Difference Christian Radio Show.