I'm sitting on my front porch this morning, writing this Food For Thought. The birds are singing, and a gentle breeze is refreshing. Just so you know, we're in the midst of golf season, which reminded me of an illustration I recently read.

A father who loved golf would practice in his backyard while his three-year-old daughter played nearby. Before taking a swing, he would glance to the left to aim and then to the right to ensure his daughter was safe. Only then would he hit the ball.

Eventually, he realized that his daughter was trying to play golf too. She grabbed a stick to serve as her club and, as he observed her preparing for a shot, she attentively looked left, then right, before swinging. In her view, the correct golf technique was to check both ways before swinging.

Whether we are aware of it or not, our actions influence not only our children but also others. As Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the 1800s English minister, once said:

“A man’s life is always more forcible than his speech. When men take stock of him they reckon his deeds as dollars and his words as pennies. If his life and doctrine disagree the mass of onlookers accept his practice and reject his preaching.”

When Jesus said, “You are the light of the world,” He wasn’t only referring to our words. The most powerful message we transmit is the one we demonstrate daily through our actions. This is especially crucial when no one seems to be watching because Someone is ALWAYS observing.

15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,

Blessings on your daily walk,

Gene