This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. These things command and teach. Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
1 Timothy 4:9-12
The discovery of the planet Uranus in 1781 by astronomer William Herschel created great excitement in the scientific community. Because it is so far from the sun, it takes Uranus a little over eighty-four of our years to make one complete orbit. As observers watched the planet make its way around the sun, they noted a number of anomalies where Uranus did not follow the expected gravitational track. In 1846, a team working at the Berlin Observatory used an advanced series of mathematical calculations to test the theory that the orbit of Uranus was being influenced by another then-unknown planet. By looking where the math suggested the planet would be, they discovered the planet Neptune ever further away from Earth. One writer observed that the discovery owed more to the pen than the telescope.
Every day we are having an influence on the people around us. Often we are not even aware of how closely we are being watched by others. If our lives are filled with good works and obedience to God, we will be a positive influence. But if we are not walking faithfully according to the Bible, our influence will be a negative one. We will be pulling people out of orbit, like Neptune does to Uranus. We do not do what is right to be see and praised by others, but instead to glorify God. But while the purpose is not to attract attention to ourselves, it is important to remember that what we do is seen, and it does have an effect on others. We must do everything we can to ensure that the impact we have through our example is a good one.
