Articles
What Happens In Vegas DOESN'T Stay In Vegas
Some time ago the city of Las Vegas promoted itself with the slogan “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” The suggestion is that one can go to Las Vegas and do whatever he pleases and no one will find out about it. Nothing like a little private indulgence in guilty pleasures!
The slogan has now taken on a life of its own and is being applied to all sorts of things. The problem is the slogan is based on a lie, the same one Satan has been telling mankind for ages.
God’s word plainly tells us He is scrutinizing our lives, and nothing we do and say escapes His notice:
- "Therefore, judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts; and then each one's praise will come from God" (II Cor. 4:5).
- "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. ... If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall fall on me, even the night shall be light about me; indeed the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You" (Ps. 139:7-8, 11-12).
In other words: "Yea, though I drive into the city limits of Las Vegas, even there Your watchful eye sees everything I do."
So, if we gamble in Vegas, that doesn’t stay in Vegas. If we drink, carouse or solicit prostitutes in Vegas, that doesn’t stay in Vegas. "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account" (Heb. 4:13).
But it isn’t only God who sees. It is amazing to witness the succession of stellar politicians, celebrities and athletes get caught in compromising situations, all apparently thinking, "No one will ever find out."
Whatever you are thinking about doing, if your primary thought is whether or not you will get caught, it’s probably best not to do it at all. In our day of security systems, camera phones and other electronic “spy” hardware, it is highly unlikely that we won’t get caught. And God already has DVR-ed us.
Your Father Who Sees in Secret
God doesn’t only see our secret “Las Vegas” moments, He also sees the good things we do that may go unnoticed by others. Jesus counsels us to give alms (charity) and pray quietly, without fanfare, for God will see our private actions and reward us openly (Matt. 6:1-6).
Retaining political power led the Pharisees to make a public show of their piety; they wanted everyone to see how “worthy” they were of loyalty. Jesus repeatedly skewers them for their “hypocrisy.” They came to believe they could impress God like they impressed the populace. God is not so easily duped.
The hard thing to do is maintain good works, for the sake of the works themselves and those who benefit from them, when no one else is watching. Especially is this so when our efforts produce criticism instead of appreciation.
The Hebrew writer encourages his readers with the following assurance: "For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister" (Heb. 6:10). We learn later that these now-shaky brethren once “endured a great struggle with sufferings” and “joyfully accepted the plundering” of their belongings (Heb. 10:32-34). They needed to remember that “God sees in secret.”
It can be hard to draw a line between knowing that you will be recognized for some contribution and doing it for the notice. This is especially true for us preachers, for we may enjoy some degree of name recognition, positive feedback for some sermon or praise for some help rendered. (Fortunately, there are others who help keep us humble!)
We must train ourselves to think first and foremost of pleasing God, of trying to achieve His objectives, of doing what is right regardless of the outcome. God will notice, and that is all that really matters.
