Guilty by Association
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (KJV)
In a jury of strangers, would your verdict be innocent or guilty of being a follower of Jesus? Some days I would be acquitted and other days, they would find me guilty. How about you? My own personal goal is to be found guilty every day.
Our stance, words, and actions are always being scrutinized and herein lies the problem. Who is watching us, where, and when? Is it at the grocery store when we give a frustrated sigh to the check-out gal in training? Maybe it is with the flagman who is holding up traffic. Or God forbid, someone who is sitting in our pew on Sunday morning. We don’t have to say a single word because our facial expressions and body language say it all.
There are times when our words just fall out of our mouths. Those are the most difficult moments from which to recover. With our crosses hanging around our necks or the bumper stickers on our fenders, are we easily found innocent of all charges? Our words and actions highlight what we believe…or don’t believe.
Are we ever guilty by association? Yes! Who we hang out with determines everything. Proverbs 13:20 tells us: Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. Our inner circle dictates our spiritual safety, who we are and where we are going. Just ponder that for a moment.
Choosing close friends is extremely important for if we are not careful, we can be pulled away from moral living. In 1 Corinthians 15:33 we read, Do not be misled: 'Bad company corrupts good character.'
Peter was guilty by association. People had seen him with Jesus and yet he denied ever knowing Him. He was fearful of losing his own life and frightened for his friend. At that juncture, life made no sense. Peter must have felt lost, paranoid, and disconnected from his faith. When we have our floundering moments, what do we do? Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them (Ephesians 5:11). This is a monumental task!
Thankfully, Peter was forgiven and so are we. May we always be found guilty of following Jesus!
Heavenly Father, thank You for forgiving us when we don’t walk on godly paths or profess our faith in word and deed. Help us to stand strong. AMEN.