My brother owns a T-shirt printing company. During his first year in business he had an order returned because they printed the Texas flag upside down. So, he gave the misprinted shirts to our friend Leroy who was a missionary in Ukraine. One day Leroy wore one of the shirts to a Texas themed restaurant in Ukraine. He caught the wait staff staring at his shirt. Soon, the kitchen staff was peeking out the kitchen door to see his shirt with the big Texas flag on it. The shirt seemed to be a hit with all the employees.
Leroy and his wife returned to the restaurant weeks later to find that the management had taken down the giant Texas flag from the wall and had flipped it upside down. It would seem that a mis-printed shirt had caused an international incident. Leroy’s shirt wasn’t hurting anyone. It wasn’t offensive or crude. He knew the print was upside down. Yet as a Texan, he wore it proudly. Besides, it was a free shirt. But, it caused a restaurant in a far off country to second guess what they believed.
It’s important to remember that people are watching us every day. Things we do can affect others positively or negatively. Paul warned of this when he wrote:
1 Corinthians 8:9. “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours becomes a stumbling-block to the weak”.
You may never know the effect your actions have on others. As long as your words and actions are bringing glory to God, you have nothing to worry about. This week pay close attention to your words and actions. Do they accurately reflect the God we serve or might they be causing others to miss the mark?
Have a wonderful week!
Pastor Jonathan
