All ministry is done “in the sight of God”.
Love people with your eyes open-
Saint Augustine put it this way, “Better it is to love even with the accompaniment of severity than to mislead by excess of lenience.”
Meaning, it’s better to show love with a little bit of toughness, tough love, rather than mislead someone by being too nice. Or the Book of Proverbs says-
“better is open rebuke than hidden love; wounds from a friend can be trusted but an enemy multiplies kisses,” Proverbs 27, verses 5-6.
Those truths encapsulate the challenge the Apostle Paul had in writing to the Corinthian Church! He loved them deeply, and yet they were his most challenging congregation. He speaks forcefully because he knows all of us live “in the sight of God.”
There is a holy God given fear, that should be present in our minds and hearts when we gather. Why? Because we are worshiping the Living God. This is not simply a social or cultural exercise. It is not simply singing songs or reading in unison or speaking. God is here! Christ is among us!
And God is watching when we worship Him! God sees our thoughts and sees everything about us, when we come before him together, and Paul levels with the church. He says, “do you think all this time we are defending ourselves?” Do you think our goal is to impress you? Not at all, who has the final say? God has the final say!
In the Sight of God- More Reading:
Why “The Heart” of a person is so important- Crossway.org