Big Brother

Well, another season of Big Brother, one of TV’s most successful shows, has started. And quite candidly, I can’t stand it. I mean, of all the shows on TV, this one should be taken off the air. Because it just highlights the gamesmanship of cheating, stealing, lying, alliances, double talk, back stabbing and everything else negative I can think of. And what does it say about our attraction to everything that is wrong and self serving about the world? Now I know that many of you out there really enjoy watching this show – it stands to reason. Because if you didn’t, it wouldn’t be one of the most watched shows. And my own family, much to my dismay, is not exempt.

Now, for those of you who are not from this planet, and have never seen this show, let me give you the short version. The big idea is to put a number of house guests together in the “Big Brother” house for most of the summer. Each week, there is a “Head of Household” competition, a “veto” competition to see who is exempt from elimination that week, and days of backstabbing, posturing and manipulation to form alliances in the hope of winning the game. And most of the participants probably belong in the game – I can’t imagine where the producers get these people – it absolutely boggles my mind. Oh, wait a minute – I don’t want to miss this – Julie Chen, who hosts the show, just said that she wants me to watch her “eavesdrop” on the guests…… Okay, I’m back…

And several minutes go, a crowd favorite, “Dick”, a former winner from season 8, withdrew from the game for personal reasons. Of course, he extolled the virtues of the game, committed to follow each episode and challenged the participants to a summer of deceit, cheating, lying and playing hard. I was trying to concentrate on what he was saying, but I was distracted by the red streaks in his hair and the black nail polish….

Of course, the name of the show comes from our culture’s concern about government – better known as Big Brother; and outsiders watching our every move. And with all the cameras in place on the show, and the isolation of the house guests for the summer, it is no surprise that they must feel like they are living in a fishbowl.

Now that I have offended all of you who watch this show, and as I already said, I suspect that there are many of you, the truth of the matter is that we are all playing Big Brother. Because somebody is watching, and assessing, your every move. And that somebody is Jesus Christ, Lord of the Universe.

But Christ isn’t enticing you to cheat, lie, steal, deceive or anything else. Christ is hoping that you will gladly accept Him into your life – forever. And the really neat thing about it is that everyone can win. That’s right – no losers; anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Savior automatically wins. And you won’t even have to spend the summer with a house full of nut jobs.

And it even gets better than that. Because Satan is prowling around the earth trying to lure you into doing things contrary to the will of God. Now this is not good – on several levels. First of all, God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. That means He is all knowing, all powerful and present everywhere – at the same time! So, to put it another way, He is the ultimate Big Brother. Whatever you do, whatever you think, wherever you go, God is watching. So why succumb to the will of Satan and do things contrary to the will of God? Especially when God knows it?

Second, We have Christ on our side. Because the Scripture tells us that Satan condemns our actions to the Father, and Christ defends us in the presence of the Father. And that is pretty great, at least in my book. Because I am not immune from the sinful attractions of this world, but I know that Christ Himself is interceding on my behalf and defending me to the Father.

And Christ is not passive in His defense of us. In John 17:12, we are told about a conversation that Christ is having with His Father. He says, “While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.” Notice Christ says that He has protected us and kept us safe – and He even goes on to say that none were lost, except one (Judas, under the power of Satan, when he sold Christ for pieces of silver) in accordance with the Scripture.

It’s important to understand the magnitude of Christ’s statement. He has not lost any of us – everyone that He was entrusted to care for was delivered safely to the Father. That’s quite a record. Far different than the Big Brother on TV, don’t you think?

So my encouragement tonight is to live your life as if you’re being watched every moment – because you are. And the person doing the watching loves you very much. My prayer is that you will live a life honoring to God and to His Son, Jesus Christ. Because as Christians, we can all be examples to others who do not yet know that Big Brother is watching…..