Camouflage

It was a quick outing to give my dad’s boat that had been sitting idly for over a year a quick workout to make sure all the gears and gadgets in the motor still remembered what they were supposed to do. Of course, a trip to the lake for whatever reason mandates the accompaniment of a fishing pole or two – you know…just in case! Anyway, the motor ran fine, the electronics all worked, and the livewell system pumped water just the way it was supposed to, so with everything working correctly, and time to spare, I did what I was absolutely compelled to do – I started fishing! About 30 minutes into a venture covering portions of the lake I had never explored, I stumbled upon what is captured in the picture at the top of this post. If you look closely, you’ll make out a baby alligator perched upon a piece of driftwood along a bridge piling. That baby alligator actually turned out to be about a dozen of the scaly little critters all on that one piece of wood, perfectly camouflaged!

And that got me to thinking about these little incidents involving all things outdoors that I try to communicate to you folks who take the time to read these posts. Those baby alligators were exactly what they were – alligators. But because of the way they positioned themselves in their environment, they blended in to the point that I almost never noticed them. I couldn’t help but acknowledge that so many times, Christian people pull the same camo disappearing act when we are in an environment in which we should otherwise stick out. The following is a short list of experiences that may or may not pertain to you, but certainly are reality for some…

• A Christian student blends into the crowd at school by laughing at the dirty jokes, watching the same crude YouTube videos, and participating in the same counter-Christian activities as the students that don’t claim Christianity.
• A Christian employee blends in with the other coworkers in the same ways as the Christian student does, and also takes company items home for personal use, because, after all…the company has plenty of whatever the item is…
• A Christian church member attends church regularly, knows the words to the songs, the answers to the questions, and the times to shout “Amen”, yet secretly lives a life that is riddled with hidden sin – whatever variety it may be.
• A Christian minister picks and chooses which portions of scripture to develop sermons around so his messages won’t be offensive to anyone that may hear them, or the minister proclaims the truth and then lives something contrary in his own private life.

Perhaps one, all, or none of these apply to you as an individual, but they are a way of life for many individuals that proclaim Christianity in our society today. Jesus said that His followers were the salt of the Earth and the light of the world, but when Christians live their lives like the baby alligators in camouflage, the salt stays in the salt shaker even when it is among blandness and the light switch never gets turned on while surrounded by darkness. Not much eternal value in that kind of living.

I was able to use those particular examples, because, unfortunately, they have all applied to me at some point in my past. With that admission, I remember the words of John Newton when asked what the greatest fact he had learned about God was. His response was, “I have learned that John Newton is a great sinner…and I have learned that Christ is a great Savior!” What a truth to be embraced by all who may have a tendency to be Camo Christians at times!

On the lake that day when I stumbled upon the baby alligators in full camouflage, I also noticed a number of mature alligators basking fully in the sun on logs and swimming fully exposed in the open water with absolutely no camo to hide them. That’s the kind of life I want to live for Christ – fully exposed and sticking out for God’s glory. How about you friend? Will you be a baby alligator fully camouflaged or a grown alligator sticking out and making a difference in the world around you? I pray you determine to be the latter. Now on a lake somewhere in the future – with our without alligators – I’ll see you in the Great Outdoors!