Who Are You When Nobody Is Watching?

A few years ago, I was getting gas at a local convenience store.  As I’m waiting for my tank to fill, a guy walks out of the store after paying, gets into his car, and starts to pull away.  Suddenly, I see this young girl in a cashier’s apron dash out of the store towards the guy that’s pulling away.  I seriously thought maybe he’d stolen something.  She's sprinting after that car, and I mean like she’s trying out for the Olympic team.  She catches up to the car and knocks on his window.  He stops and rolls down his window. 

“You forgot your change,” she said.  And she gives it to him.  Just change.  No bills.  Then she walks back to the store. 

I was a little surprised by that.  It stuck with me.  In our modern world the fact she would have done that for less than a dollar in change is kind of remarkable.  That's not enough for a coffee these days. She could have easily pocketed that loose change, or thrown it into the penny cup, or just left it in her drawer.  It was such an insignificant amount.

And believe it or not, I’ve thought about that several times in the years since.  Mostly I wondered if I would have chased a car down in the parking lot for less than a dollar in change.  I didn’t have a clear answer to that question at that time. But seeing that made me want to be better. Because in a world where we're constantly told that everyone's looking out for themselves, that young woman was living proof that some people still care about doing the right thing—even when nobody's watching.

But that cashier who ran across the parking lot? She had no idea I was watching. She had no idea her simple act of integrity would stick with a stranger and years later become an illustration in a blog post. She just did what felt right because that's who she is when nobody was looking.

Being your best self when nobody's watching isn't some new idea. It's ancient wisdom. Matthew 5:16 says, "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds." But here's the hard truth. The best way to let your light shine before others is to stop worrying about who might be watching and just be genuine all the time. 

We're so starved for genuine examples of integrity that when we see them, they literally go viral. Remember the video of the Chick-fil-A employee who ran out into a storm to help an elderly customer to their car? Or the story of the pizza delivery guy who noticed a regular customer hadn't ordered in a while and went to check on them?  These stories explode across social media because they're considered extraordinary acts in the world we live in. 

We live in a time when returning someone's forgotten change is noteworthy. When helping an elderly person is viral-worthy content. When basic integrity makes you stand out like a lighthouse in a storm.  That's both depressing and incredibly hopeful at the same time. Depressing because it shows how low our expectations have fallen. But it is hopeful also, because even in this culture we live in, decency and integrity still rises to the surface!

This is how the world changes. This is how cultures shift. Not through legislation or social media movements, but through individuals deciding that character matters. Through people choosing to be the same person in the parking lot as they are in the pew, the same person at the self-checkout as they are at the dinner table.  Every time you choose integrity when nobody's watching, you're not just making a personal choice. You're casting a vote for the kind of world you want to live in. You're becoming the kind of person others can point to and say, "That's how it's done. That's what character looks like."

The world is pretty dark right now.  We desperately need people who are willing to be lights. We need people who understand that change doesn't start with everyone else—it starts with us. It starts with you deciding that your character matters more than your comfort.  So the next time you're in a parking lot, or a checkout line, or any moment when you think nobody's watching, be the person that God wants you to be.  The world needs a lot more people like that.

~Pastor Todd Creason