Who’s Watching?

Philippians 2:12-13 “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

I am continually amazed how perfectly the Word of God, written so long ago, still applies very specifically to our everyday lives. These verses are just one example. In his letter to the church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul acknowledges in verse 12 that they could have behaved very differently while he was away from them. As their spiritual leader, he was pleased that they still obeyed God, even when he was absent. Can’t we all relate to this situation? Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I wonder if my boss sees what I am doing?” Or maybe you notice “So-and-so isn’t here today,” meaning you can act differently.

You see, they were in partnership with God-not with Paul. As it happened, Paul had to be absent, but God was ever-present with them. Notice how this partnership works: verse 12 tells the believers to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” In other words, you have to take personal responsibility for your actions. Verse 13 reminds them, “For it is God which worketh in you. . . .” Only God can give you the power to do what you ought! Verse 13 is the power to accomplish verse 12. Each day, my primary concern ought to be what God thinks of what I am doing, not what others think.

Notice verse 13 says, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do. . . .” To help myself make wise decisions each day, I should ask myself these two questions:

God can make our will unified with His will. “Well,” you say, “what if God wants something far bigger than I could ever do?” Well, that’s why it is God that works in us both to will and to do! Whatever God wants, He can always do.

Make your decisions at work or at home based upon what God wants and what He can do. Living this way will keep you faithful and consistent, no matter who is watching. It will keep you from doing what you should not do when no one sees; and it will keep you from being discouraged when no one sees your good deeds.