Ecclesiastes 12

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.  For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NKJV)

When my children were little, my wife and I noticed that we tended to be negative in how we instructed our kids.  That is, when they were being good, we seldom praised them.  But they sure heard when we observed them doing something they should not be doing!  It seemed that “No!” was heard way more often than “Yes!” in our home.  

So, we decided to institute a practice called “caught being good.”  The idea is the opposite of being caught while doing bad things.  Periodically, when we noticed a child sharing, obeying the first time we asked, or talking kindly to a sibling, we would say, “Caught being good!”  And we would reward them, somehow.  We discovered this to be a very positive motivational practice.  It not only rewarded the behavior of one child, but it also encouraged ALL my children.  The hope was that a positive competition for pleasing Mom and Dad would ensue.  Sometimes it did.

There are many people (believers and non-believers) whose opinion of God is very negative.  They do not understand that when the Bible says, “fear God,” it does not mean “be afraid of God.”  Fearing God means to honor and respect Him as He deserves.  Still, people’s negative opinion of Him remains.  

Yes, God is the Law Giver and Judge of all mankind, but He is also more gracious and loving than people give Him credit for.  He holds us accountable yet offers us liberty.  He commands us to discipline ourselves and follow Him, yet He wants a personal relationship with us, to the point where He considers us “sons and daughters,” co-inheritors with Messiah.

Reading the last words of the book of Ecclesiastes, where the Lord brings into judgment every secret thing we have done, the idea of our sin being exposed and announced to all creation causes anxiety for even the most pious believer.  But what about our good works being exposed, those secret God-honoring moments where we have humbly served people without seeking recognition?  Should we not be motivated to be caught being good more than we are ashamed of being caught being bad?  Let’s strive from this point on to live our lives in such a way that God is glorified and Messiah is magnified through our faith, which leads to good works and humbly leads others to follow Him, as well!  Let’s pursue lives worthy of being exposed!

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16 (HCSB)