Lyn Smith

A Guy, A DUI ... and a Lie?

There was a recent article in the paper about a successful, respected man who had been arrested for DUI. There are several concerns with that part of the story alone, but the “embarrassing details” are what I’ve been thinking about. He was with a woman who was not his wife. The man claims she was just a friend. Interestingly, the officer who arrested him noted that he was “found with a red pair of lady’s panties between his legs.” She was arrested for disorderly conduct. There was no more mention of their relationship in the article.

So, he says they are just friends even though they were alone in the car together, both seemingly under the influence, and with a pair of unexplained panties. Maybe that’s true. There could be a reasonable explanation for their situation that doesn’t include infidelity. Maybe it just looks really, really, really bad.

The problem is, it looks really, really, really bad. That stretches the good nature of people who are often willing to give the benefit of the doubt when all the facts are not known. Our country stands for “innocent until proven guilty” but we’re human and can be influenced by circumstantial evidence. Since I don’t know all the facts, I’m not going to draw any conclusions about their relationship.

However, it does bring to mind 1 Thess. 5:22, where we are instructed to avoid things that look evil, and Proverbs 22:1, where we are told that “A good name is more desirable than great riches.” What others think of us is actually important in our ability to impact them for Christ. As His followers, we are to continually look and act more like Him. We bear His name, thus representing Him to everyone around us.

We cannot lightly engage in all kinds of activities under the banner of “freedom in Christ” that will confuse observers. What we claim must be lived out in our actions. Yes, we are free. Absolutely! Free to live in a way that reflects Jesus Christ.

He claims they are just friends.  It doesn't look that way. 

I claim to belong to Jesus Christ.  Does it look that way? 

Your whole life is a billboard. What are you advertising?