I learned a valuable and funny lesson on perceptions today. Delia and I recently took Sophia and a couple of boys from church swimming. When I entered the pool without out my shirt the older boy said, "You're naked." I explained to him I wasn't naked, since I was wearing swimming trunks; I just wasn't wearing my shirt. He didn't say anything else about it, so I figured the matter was resolved.
We are on vacation with the boys and their parents currently. We had been out exploring the Newport Aquarium today, but had returned to the hotel because the kids wanted to swim. While we were getting ready to swimming the boys' mom called and said that her oldest son had told her he wanted to swim naked like Bro. Randy. Fortunately, she knew he probably meant without out a shirt. We were able to laugh about it.
But we don't always get so fortunate. Sometimes, it is the perception of others that prevails over reality. How someone perceives us can effect our ministry in positive or negative ways. It is for this reason that Paul warns us to abstain from every kind of evil (see 1 Thes. 5:22). We need to be really careful how we present ourselves so that we do not give the enemies of Christ an opportunity to blaspheme him. Let us do our best to uphold the glory of Christ, through consistent, faithful living, by his grace.
Well, I am off to the pool. And I am seriously contemplating wearing a shirt. I wouldn't want folks thinking I swim naked.
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