Peering over your shoulder

What's up with our fascination with other people's lives?

There are days I find myself watching strange things like Oprah, Dr Phil, Survivor, Big Brother... And I have to ask WHY?

What's missing in my life that I have to go look for in someone else's? Is it to make me feel better about my own problems? - "see, everyone else has HUGE ones, so mine are not bad". Or perhaps about my sins - "at least I'm not sleeping with my sister-in-law's father's ex..." Or perhaps about my house - "wow, look at America's ugliest room! Mine's better than that so I won't clean today or make an effort to create a welcoming home." Or about my body - "I'm not as fat as her, so who cares if I overeat again." Or about my religion - "at least I'm not trapped in a weird cult like them."

Maybe it's a way to live things that we normally wouldn't try because the consequences are just too scary. We'll let others take the fall and enjoy watching them do it.

Reality TV and talk shows are a pretty sad addiction! Yet I find myself cluttering up my head every now and then with stuff I really don't need to know, even when I don't want to.

And yet I have to wonder - what if they stuck a camera in my life for a day? What would the world see? In all likelihood I'd be just as bad as, if not worse than, those I observe on the box. I'd be caught out not walking what I talk. Those nasty habits would be out in the open. Dr Phil would have something to say I'm sure!

If I had a camera crew following me all over, recording every second of my day, what I do, how I say things, whether I am a good mom or not, would that make me change my ways? Would I "act good" just because I know someone's watching?

The Bible says all we do and say is written up in heaven. There's no way we can hide what's been noted there. One day it will be available for all to read!

Sobering thought.