Man Working Above

Man Working Above

Utility.jpg

A utility truck rumbled up in front of my house today.  I didn’t know what it was doing there.  I was afraid to ask.  A guy wearing a safety vest and helmet hopped out and started setting up shop.  He had the whole array of spinning lights, signs and traffic cones going.  Apparently a towering lift-bucket truck isn’t quite enough to get people’s attention these days on its own.

A few minutes later he was 30 feet up in the air, tinkering with the wires on our utility pole -- but it was the last sign he placed on the road that really intrigued me.  The words only clarified what was already obvious.  It read:  “MAN WORKING ABOVE.”

I smiled and wondered if anyone else considered the flawed safety concept here: a sign telling drivers there’s something WAY more interesting to look at than the road.  Not to mention, with his truck parked on the shoulder, the only thing drivers could impact (short of departing the pavement altogether) was the sign itself!

Seriously speaking, watching this scenario unfold out front presented a good spiritual challenge.  Clearly the guy up in the lift was a utility worker.  All the indicators were there as he went about his routine.  In fact, if he claimed to be working on the power lines but didn’t have the truck and all the rest, we probably wouldn’t believe him.

In this same way, does our lifestyle clearly indicate to those around us that we’re Christians, and that the work of God is going on -- right here, and right now?  How many signals do we display during our daily routines?  Is the Lord’s presence in our lives easy to see, or would we need a sign that reads, “GOD WORKING ABOVE” for people to understand what should already be obvious?

Matthew 5:14-16 says, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket.  Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

No one would ever accuse that utility worker out front of being a phony.  But as the old saying goes, if you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?


- Ron Reid

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