I know we have all been told, but how often do we seriously consider the impact of our actions and our words?
Do you know that you represent and reflect on everything with which you are associated?
A visitor will evaluate and judge our entire congregation by the one or two they happen to contact.
For this very reason, Paul will instruct Timothy to tell those under the yoke of slavery to consider their masters worthy of full respect.
It is his reason for giving this instruction we should consider most seriously in every area of our life.
His reason? “So that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered.”
God’s word and the fact we are Christians will be slandered by many in the world. But our conduct should not be contrary to what is right and true so that the world cannot be given a reason to say, “Those Christians are nothing but hypocrites.”
We will not be able to prevent them from saying it. But our conduct should be such that honest people will realize that the charge is not true when they observe our right and godly conduct.
Consider it. When we do not allow Jesus to rule over us and our conduct is different than what Jesus would have it to be, we, by our unfaithful conduct, cause the name of God and His Holy Word to be slandered.
We need to remember whom we represent.