My mind suddenly turns a switch and, for that brief moment, wonders if anyone is watching.  Of course, there are things where we desire privacy, which is understandable, and thank you. But what about all the times when we are about to cross a line of ethics?

Turning my head left and right, questioning if anybody is watching my actions.  Whenever those thoughts come into my head, I quickly move to analyzing what I’m doing.  Why am I doing something that I have to ask myself if anyone is watching?

It is a trigger for me, a warning, a single that I likely am up to something that could border on inappropriate.  If it were acceptable, I wouldn’t be looking from side to side, correct?

The moment I have thoughts regarding whether anyone is watching, I move to prayer.  I move to questioning if what I’m doing is appropriate?  Is love at the center of what I am about to engage in or be a part of?

Sometimes things that we do become so routine that we lose sight of the fact that we should be wondering, is anybody watching?  In the workforce, I watch those who are working tirelessly on their project.  At the same time, I see those who are doing what is required for the project.  On occasion, some grow to be okay with beating the system and becoming a weak link to the project.

I am reminded of this when I see a company truck stop in front of a building.  The vehicle stops for a time, then moves on to the next location without opening the car door or getting out.  It’s difficult to check the level of a porta-potty or to drain it without getting out of the car. 

Or when a company you have a contract with thinks you’re out of town, and their workers stop in front of your house, take a break, talk, use their phones, get back in the car, and move on to the next home without mowing the grass. 

Maybe it’s simply not being present wholeheartedly on the job.  Some of us have been guilty of this at one time or another.  And if we truly realized the moment we were doing it, we would likely be disappointed in ourselves.

During my career, there was a time with an employer where I was not fully engaged with what I was doing for the company.  Nothing unethical, nothing that doesn’t happen all the time, but something that was just not me.  I was taken off track by someone else, and without even seeing it, the abuse slowly started to grow. 

I could argue that I wasn’t doing anything wrong, that my job was completed, or that I put in the hours, but truthfully, I had disengaged for a short period of time each day.  At times, it takes a wake-up call to see our disengagement.  Sometimes the wake-up call indicates it’s time to move on! 

The moment I question what somebody else is doing, I move to prayer, compassion, and understand that it’s not for me to judge.  I then ask myself whether I am engaging in this?

In the workforce, in our everyday living, in our personal lives, and within ourselves, we can see when this is happening around us or within us if we’re listening and paying attention to our actions.  Often, it is when we see it in others that is the most important time to look within ourselves and ask ourselves if we are doing the same thing, just not recognizing our ethics.

Is anybody watching?  Yes, Jesus is watching.

Click here to stay connected.