Who You Are When Nobody's Watching

Hey Carpool Crew, happy Thursday. I hope you're enjoying summer. I'm Pastor Justin. Yesterday, we kicked off Freedom Week, talking about what it means that Jesus set us free. Today, we're asking what free people do when nobody's around. Let's jump in with the one thing I want you to remember for the ride: who you are when nobody's watching is the real you. Jesus set you free to do right, even then, not to sneak around. Listen to this from 1 Peter chapter 2 verse 16. Live as free people, but don't use your freedom as a cover-up for evil. Instead, live as God's slaves. So a cover-up is throwing a blanket over something so nobody can see it. Peter says, "Don't do that with being free." He wrote it to people who loved Jesus but were scattered everywhere, surrounded by people watching to see if this Jesus thing was real. Some had started thinking, "I'm free now, so I can do whatever I want and hide the messy parts of my life." Peter says, "No. Being free was never a blanket to hide bad choices under." God didn't set you free so you could get sneakier. He set you free so you could get truer. Be more honest with who you are. The real test isn't what you do when everyone's clapping for you. It's what you do when the door is shut, when no one sees you, when you know that no one is watching. If Jesus were sitting right next to you, I think He'd say, "I see every quiet, good thing you do that nobody notices. None of it is wasted. Keep doing right when it's just you and me. That's where I'm growing you strong, growing you wise, growing you as a leader." See, it's a slow summer afternoon. You're in the backyard with a friend, keeping your own score to a game. You hit the ball, and it lands clearly out, but your friend didn't see it drop. You could call it a point, and no one would ever know. That's the cover-up moment. But the free kid says, "No, that was out." Nobody hands him a trophy, but he just stays true to who he is and walks inside with his friend, feeling 10 feet tall. Hey, this week, here are a couple things you could try. First, pick one moment today when nobody's watching and do the right thing on purpose. Second, when you feel that pull to hide something or not tell the truth, stop and remember that Jesus made you free to make the right choices. And third, here's a hard one for you. Tonight, ask yourself or your parents, "Am I the same kid when the door is shut as when everyone is watching?" If it's not quite, that's okay. That's exactly what Jesus is growing in you. You have tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that to change and be more like Jesus. Hey, let's go back to the one thing I wanted you to remember for the ride. Who you are when no one is watching is the real you. Jesus set you free to do the right thing even then, not to sneak around. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, quick one for you. Whatever your kid is wrestling with this summer, a worry, a hard friendship, telling the truth, there's probably an episode for it. Head to carpoolingwithjesus.com and just type in a word, and we'll find the episode for you. And if your family wants the weekend episodes too, they're waiting for you. Just subscribe on Apple Podcast or Spotify. And guess what? Later this month, we have a brand new Carpooling with Heroes of the Bible on Daniel. Daniel kept doing the right thing even when powerful people were hunting for a reason to take him down. The first episode is free for everyone, but if you want all five, just subscribe. You will not regret it. Hey, before you go, let's answer this question together. What's the one right thing you could do this week that nobody would ever know except you and God? I'll see you later, Carpool Crew. Have a good one.