"What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
My mother often tells the story about a time when she and my minister father were sharing Bible studies with a new convert who was convicted and struggling on the issue of jewelry. Naturally jewelry was never an issue for our family and its presence never existed in the home. However, when the husband of the couple was struggling with the conviction to remove his wedding ring, he confronted my mother with an issue that was on his heart. He pointed out that she wore a gold watch and gold watch band. Now, in all fairness, the watch was NOT fancy or crusted with jewels or diamonds or fancy accessories, however, in the heart of the man who was struggling with spiritual conviction, HE could only see a GOLD ORNAMENT on my mother's wrist and the devil was using that as a stumbling block to his heart.
Naturally it had never even crossed my mother's mind to give thought to her plain gold watch, but her heart was struck with deep conviction when she recognized the importance of OUR PERSONAL EXAMPLE that can be a powerful, silent witness or a dangerous stumbling block to those who may be struggling spiritually. She immediately removed the watch and replaced it with a much more plain and modest version with a plain black leather band and plain white face and she apologized to the brother for causing him to struggle and thanked him for bringing it to her attention.
To someone else, and even to most of us, that might seem like a silly issue, but FOR THAT MAN the devil was fueling his struggle by causing him to focus on that ONE SMALL OBJECT. Thankfully my mother, in her perceptive wisdom, recognized her spiritual responsibility in the situation and acted quickly to remove the stumbling block. Was that watch a stumbling block or an object of idolatry for my mother? No, absolutely not, but she was STILL responsible for her influence on the struggling brother. The brother was eventually baptized (which is an amazing story unto itself) and became a faithful and passionate defenders of our true Seventh-day Adventist Faith until his death and we look forward to being reunited with him in the kingdom.
We all have fellow church members, even pastors and church leaders, who have not yet acted upon the conviction to remove wedding rings or other forms of idolatry ..... immodest dress, ungodly entertainment or music, worldly social activities, addiction to sports, etc. It is not our place to stand in judgment of those individuals. But it IS our responsibility to protect the spiritual influence of those in our personal and extended circles of influence because we may not be aware of how impactful our example can be to others. Does every aspect of our daily life, work, play, worship, and fellowship reflect the message that we profess and do they correspond with the principles and tenets of our faith? We do not want to be asked why WE are wearing the proverbial "gold watch" while promoting this sacred and precious message.
Not long ago, an individual whom I had always believed to be a “faithful Seventh-day Adventist,” with whom I had been blessed by the spiritual beliefs, practices, and faith that we shared in common, posted about their family’s vacation adventure on social media. The trip appeared to be absolutely lovely, pleasant, relaxing, and enjoyable for the whole family.
BUT ...........
What made the most significant impact on me (personally) was that they had to travel to and board the vehicle for the excursion during the Sabbath hours, engaging in all of the standard activities that is required during the process of boarding and settling into the assigned lodging. It was still the Sabbath as the activities of beginning the voyage was published to share with others.
This was not an emergency trip or necessary travel for ministry.
This was a personal family vacation.
For fun.
I was not able to enjoy the beautiful pictures and videos that were shared through the following week about their adventures because I was so surprised and disheartened by that one seemingly little detail about their trip, especially because I would never have expected to witness such open compromise from a family that I had always considered to be "faithful Seventh-day Adventists." And, sadly, my ability to accept and be blessed by any SPIRITUAL material that has been shared by this individual in the subsequent time after that excursion has been sadly damaged because of this one action that negatively impacted their spiritual witness to me, personally. I wondered if there were others who shared my same experience or if I was the only one who was deeply troubled.
Of course I am no better than this individual or their family or any less in need of a Savior or a reminder to check myself and evaluate my own personal and professional example as an individual who professes to be a "faithful Seventh-day Adventist." In fact, our family regularly engages in conversation on this very subject, frequently asking each other if this or that decision or business action or particular behavior could possibly give the wrong or contradicting message to the many individuals and groups of people in our own personal and professional circles of influence who quietly observe our example to see if we truly live the message that we preach. And each one of us makes mistakes, sometimes out of ignorance and other times out of careless neglect, but we bring it to the other's attention and then together to the foot of the cross and, when necessary, even with an apology to those who may have been negatively impacted or confused by our spiritual witness. Holding ourselves and each other spiritually accountable is a necessary part of family and church fellowship.
I don't ever want to be asked why I wear the "gold watch" by one who may be struggling spiritually and who may DEPEND on my example and my witness to encourage them through the battle to find grace, victory, and transformation through our Savior. I am ultimately not the one who saves them. However, I AM responsible to fulfill my assigned role, as a missionary in the Lord's service, placed here on this earth for the singular purpose of spreading the 3 Angels' Messages and the hope of salvation through Christ by reflecting His character and His love to those in my circles of influence.
WE will ultimately be held accountable in the judgment for any part we may have played by careless neglect in our own personal witness while actively sharing and spreading the gospel and the 3 Angels' Messages among our own people. And this is a very sobering consideration that should deeply strike and convict the heart of EVERY individual who calls themselves a faithful "Seventh-day Adventist."
During a difficult experience in her 70-year ministry Ellen White wrote:
“Jesus is my precious Savior. I want to copy the pattern. How exact in principle and upright in conduct was He! He gave no place to Satan when he was tempted. How wide awake He had to be to discern the tempter's wiles. Oh, if we would only walk and work as Jesus worked, how strict would be all our transactions with believers and unbelievers; how tender, how charitable, how meek and lowly of heart would we become, because we have learned of Him. How dimly we reflect the great glory of our Lord! ... We need to behold him more steadfastly, that we may be changed into his image.”
- Letter 38, Written to Uriah Smith on June 29, 1892
To be like Jesus—this is the goal set forth by John the beloved: “Whoever says, ‘I abide in Him,’ ought to walk just as He walked” (1 John 2:6). And Peter declared: “Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). In support of this challenging objective, Ellen White wrote:
“Talk as Christ talked. Work as Christ worked. We must look to Christ and live. Catching sight of His loveliness, we long to practice the virtues and righteousness of Christ."
- Be Like Jesus, 5
Let me share more of the profound story about the brother who was distracted by my mother's gold watch.
My father was a conference pastor at the time, however, he maintained uncompromised faithfulness to the tenets of our Remnant Faith and he would not baptize any individual(s) while still wearing jewelry or even wedding rings.
This dear brother had been convicted to remove all of his jewelry, however, he struggled with the wedding ring. (Hence the story about his challenge with my mother's gold watch.) He finally made the decision to be baptized, but had not been convicted to remove his wedding ring, so my father lovingly explained that he will love him and support his spiritual journey in the Faith, but that he could not go against God's will and could not be the one to baptize him if he still cherished wearing the ring. The brother loved and adored my father and held him in the highest regard and with great respect and told my father that he would simply "find a pastor who WOULD baptize him with his ring."
Our entire family attended the baptism service at another church in the region, showing our love and support for this dear brother and his wife. As long as I live, I will never forget what happened that day.
The pastor led the brother into the water and presented the standard comments and then asked if the brother had anything to share before being buried into the waters of baptism.
The brother stood before the microphone and said this:
"I have studied with Pastor (my father) and his family and have been blessed and led by his passion for this faith, his love for me and for people, and his love for this church. He is the reason why I stand here before you today, ready to join this remnant church in baptism. My heart was struck, touched, and deeply convicted when Pastor stood by his convictions and declined to perform my baptism because of his faithfulness and conviction to the beliefs and teachings of this faith. My rebellious heart was stubborn to hang onto a part of the world, so I determined to find a pastor who WOULD baptize me while still clinging to that part of the world that had a hold on my heart. And, despite my stubborn rebellion, Pastor showed me love, respect, compassion, and never rejected me, but he NEVER ONCE COMPROMISED HIS PRINCIPLES, not even at risk of his job, his good standing in the conference, or even to have me as a number on the membership books of his own church. His faithfulness to conviction was more important to him than to accept my request for baptism. The devil used my spiritual struggle to test and challenge the pastor's conviction and I watched him stand like a solid rock without moving, but loving me every step of the way. So, it is BECAUSE of his faithfulness, his conviction, and his witness for his faith that I am finally able to do this .............
- he dramatically and quietly removed his wedding ring, placed it on the side of the baptism tank, and then turned to the astonished pastor standing next to him in the baptistry -
......... NOW I am ready to join the church, pastor!"
The baptizing pastor was stunned and completely without words. He quickly regurgitated the baptism blessing and buried the brother into the waters.
I don't remember much else about that experience or even the rest of the day because the only image that was engraved into my memory forever was turning to see my parents, both with tears streaming, and my father's head in his hands, crying and praying and quietly thanking and praising the Lord. I could hear him whispering over and over again amid his tears - "Thank you, Lord, Thank you, Lord, Thank you, Lord."
And THIS, brothers and sisters, is WHY that precious brother became one of the most stalwart, uncompromising, effective, and faithful witnesses for the the Seventh-day Adventist faith and for the Present Truth for the rest of his life.
Brothers and Sisters, what is YOUR "gold watch?"
