Who Are You When Nobody’s Watching?

Through lies and deception each one of these men have hit the headlines to reveal that they were not who we thought them to be.

Nehemiah 5:1-19

Reference: v.17 Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: An Austrian movie star, an American sportsman and an Australian businessman, all known for their success and power in their particular fields, and yet they failed severely in their private lives.  Through lies and deception each one of these men have hit the headlines to reveal that they were not who we thought them to be.  To the public they seemed to be going from strength to strength and had it all together, however, behind the scenes was a completely different picture.  We all have a façade that we use in public, but how different is it to the person we are when nobody’s watching?

Application:  Nehemiah was a man who led a life of integrity.  He led the Israelites towards building a better future and showed love and compassion to those in need.  While he mixed with those in power, he also opened his home to feed those that had little.  This is integrity, to act out the same values in public as you do in private.  This can be challenging to do, but when God calls us to follow Him He doesn’t just require us to be his disciple in private, where no one can see, or in public, so it makes us look holy.  God asks for all of us at all times.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us for often being two-faced.  May we strive to have integrity in our lives. Amen.

Are you the same person when nobody’s watching?

disciple, integrity, Nehemiah