• Privacy is dead. When George Orwell wrote about “Big Brother” watching in his novel, 1984, I wonder if he imagined today’s culture.
• The NSA has the ability to monitor internet and telecommunications
• Unmanned drones have been claimed to monitor our activity
• Cameras record us in most public locations
• Smartphone apps demand access to personal data.
• Customer loyalty programs require input of personal data.
• Ubiquitous warranty cards that come with almost every product ask us to complete information about income, interests, and buying habits.
• there’s even a new high-tech grocery cart that would congratulate consumers when they purchase the right amount of healthy foods.

Just the other day, after searching for a particular shoe style on www.Zappos.com, I was unsettled to see ads for the identical shoe appearing on my Facebook feed.

All this marketing information finds its way to www.AboutTheData.com, an online database used by companies to tailor their marketing efforts. AboutTheData.com includes data such as addresses, size of home, income, education, credit cards, car model, family size, and pet ownership. The website also includes political affiliation and information about investments and even when insurance policies are up for renewal.

And it comes from public sources—sources you and I voluntarily contribute to. Warranty registrations. Contest entries. Property appraisals.

Privacy may be a thing of the past, but did you know there is One who has always known every detail of your life? Nothing surprises Him because He knows everything about you – past, present, and future. His name is El Roi, The God Who Sees Me. Nothing is too insignificant to escape His notice. He is aware of every tear we shed and every smile that warms our heart. He is there to comfort, encourage, exhort, and lead us, regardless of our circumstances.

Funny thing is, when we’ve done something we’re ashamed of, we tend to avoid God. We stop praying. We avoid other Christians. As if we could keep God from learning what we’ve done!

Whether or not Big Brother is watching, God is. What would happen if we lived with an active awareness that even when we’re alone, God is watching all our thoughts, words, and deeds? Would you and I live differently?

It’s a question with eternal consequences.