There is a story of a King long ago who dressed as a common man and circulated among the people to see what they really thought about him and to find issues of interest. Now there is a modern take on the idea in the form of a television show called Undercover Boss. The boss of a large company disguises himself and applies for an entry level job with his company. He is then trained by some of the employees.
Along the way he gets to know them and is able to evaluate their performance. He is also given a look at his company through the eyes of the common worker as well as the customer. In most episodes he finds good people and is able to reward them at the end. And in most cases there are issues uncovered that he is able to address.
Not every detail of the show will be favorably compared with the following analogy. But in some ways the show reminds me of a scripture from the book of Philippians. Philippians 2: 5-11 notes that Christ, initially in heaven as part of the Godhead, was willing to come to earth and live as a man. The Hebrew writer (4:15) tells us that He lived as a man and was subjected to every temptation just as we are.
The Philippian passage makes several points worth of our consideration.
When Christ came to the earth He took the form of a bondservant, the lowest form of servitude.
He humbled himself, extolling the virtue of humility.
He became obedient to the point of death, emphasizing the need for obedience.
There will come a day that every knee will bow at the name of Jesus.
And every tongue will confess His name.
Now think about the television show. Imagine if Christ showed up in your life as a new hire at work or a new friend you recently met. Imagine that you didn’t know it was Him. Imagine that He just worked His way into your life to find out who you really are. Not the you, He sees on Sunday. But the you He sees at work, at home, at play, etc. Imagine that He is just working undercover to examine the real you. And then in the end He will reveal Himself and make the recommendations for improvement or perhaps commend you for the good He finds.
Now the serious part for our consideration is the obvious. He is a part of our life. He is examining us on a daily basis. There will come a time of revealing.
If I knew the owner of the company was walking with me each day observing my actions would it change the way I conduct business? There is so much more at stake with my LORD doing the same. And it is not just work but every area of my life.
Let us not wait for that day to bow and confess His name. Rather let us do it today.