Monday, October 11, 2010

Phideas the Greek Sculptor ~ Being faithful even when others can't see you


One of the greatest sculptors of all time was the Greek sculptor Phideas. Once he was sculpting an enormous statue. He was spending many days working on the minutest details of the back of the head of a particular statue. The statue was to stand some forty feet tall but the back of the head would be up in the apex of the front of a building. No one would ever see the back of the head.

So when many more days continued to pass by the people started to mock Phideas. They told him how foolish he was to spend so much time on an area of his statue that nobody would ever see.
Finally a man approached Phideas and asked him, “Why on earth are you spending so much time on the back of the statue’s head, no one will ever see it?” To this Phideas replied, “God will see it.”

COMMENTARY

I believe in the original story his actual response was the Gods will see it, but the meaning is the same. How few are there today that hold the same attitude as Phideas. Many think that when they are away from their peers or those who can hold them accountable that they can do whatever they please. I too have been guilty of this. In reality it is to God, who sees and knows everything, that we shall stand accountable to.

I believe that God is so immensely pleased with us when we are faithful in those moments. He is always watching us, not as an angry God waiting to punish us, but as a loving Father waiting to bless us.
The bible talks about how David when he was just a boy killed a lion and a bear to protect his sheep. Most grown men would have run away and said, “Good luck sheep, I’m outta here!” I also believe that when the Lord saw these heroic actions of the boy David he knew he would make a great leader over His sheep, Israel.

What have you done in those instances in which you could do a brave or noble deed and nobody would know except God? What about in those moments of temptation when you could supposedly get away with a sin?

Keep us faithful, keep us pure,
Keep us evermore Thine own!
Help, O help us to endure,
Fit us for Thy promised crown.



APPLICATION

Always be faithful to God, especially in those moments when it seems as if no one will notice or care. Like Phideas you can say to yourself, God sees. I also recommend that you find someone or a select few to be accountable to.

It’s easy for many to put on a false exterior of faithfulness when they are around those they believe will care. But, many times, the toughest tests come when no one we know is around.

Yet we often may think to ourselves, “No one will have to know about this sinful act, I can easily get away with this.” Just remember, you may fool the whole world but you will never fool God. In his justice, the double-minded person will end up paying for their indiscretions one way or the other.

J. Lawrence Finley

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