Conduct yourselves properly (honorably, righteously) among the Gentiles, so that, although they may slander you as evildoers, [yet] they may by witnessing your good deeds [come to] glorify God in the day of inspection [when God shall look upon you wanderers as a pastor or shepherd looks over his flock].
I believe the world is watching Christians, and what people see Chris- tians do is very important. In the Scripture above, Peter encouraged believers to conduct themselves properly and honorably among Gentiles, the unbelievers of the day. He said even if the unbelievers were inclined to slander the believers, the unbelievers would eventually come to glorify God if they saw the believers’ good works and loving deeds.
If your neighbors know you go to church every Sunday, I can assure you that they also watch your behavior. When I was growing up, our neighbors dutifully went to church. Actually, they went several times a week, but they also did lots of things they should not have done. I recall my father often saying, “They are no better than I am; they get drunk, use bad language, tell dirty jokes, and have bad tempers, so they are just a bunch of hypocrites.” My dad was looking for an excuse to not serve God any- way, and their behavior just added fuel to the fire.
I certainly realize that as Christians, we don’t behave perfectly, and that people who want an excuse to not believe in Jesus or practice Christianity will always watch us and criticize us. But we should do the best we can to not give them a reason to judge us.
Prayer of the Day: Lord, please help me conduct myself in a way that reflects Your character at all times. Let my good works and loving deeds point others to You, especially when they're watching closely, amen.
