Day Thirty-Five

“There’s something different about you.”

Depending on the context, hearing those words can be disheartening or encouraging. Thankfully, the person sitting across the table from me meant the latter. We had just finished a ridiculously stressful shift at the restaurant where I was working, and after it was over the manager offered to buy me lunch while we both took a break.

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity for free food, so I said, “Sure.” We got our food, sat down at a table, and then he started to share his reason for wanting to have some time together:

“During that lunch rush, everyone on staff was a stressful mess…except you. You never lost your cool. You continued to be kind and gracious to customers, and even managed to crack some jokes to lighten the atmosphere. There’s something different about you.”

And then the question, “What’s your secret?”

Thankfully, the reason I was able to keep calm in the midst of impatient customers, malfunctioning drive-thru speakers, and overflowing shake machines wasn’t a secret, and so I was glad to share it with him. It was my first experience sharing my faith in Jesus.

When I was a kid in Sunday School, we used to sing This Little Light of Mine, which declared our desire to let our “light shine before others” (Matt. 5:16):

Hide it under a bushel? No!
I'm going to let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel? No!
I'm going to let it shine.
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

But there’s a problem letting your light shine…it will make you stand out in the world. People will notice, they will note that there’s something different about you. And truth be told, we don’t always want that. A lot of the time we just want to keep our head down, tend to the concerns of life, and make it to the end of the day. We don’t want to call attention to ourselves.

But the thing is…if it’s the Holy Spirit causing light to shine, that light will not shine on us. It will illuminate the work of God in our lives. Jesus made that clear in his Sermon on the Mount:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”—Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

When it’s Jesus in us that stands out, it’s Jesus who will ultimately be seen. And the result will be glory given to God.

So much teaching on evangelism in the church these days is about methods and strategy, which can have their place, but in the end it will be the witness of a transformed life that draws someone to Jesus. Evangelism is not a program, it is a supernatural act. This supernatural dimension is clear in Jesus’ final commission to his disciples (Acts 1:8), where he tells them they will be empowered by the Holy Spirit, then they will be his witnesses.

When it comes to sharing our faith, the first step is yielding our lives. The more we allow the Holy Spirit transform us, the more the light of Christ will shine through us.

Even if it means…we’re a little different.

In fact, maybe that should be our prayer.

I wanna be different
I wanna be changed
'Til all of me is gone
And all that remains
Is a fire so bright
The whole world can see
That there's something different
So come and be different
In me

Read the rest of the lyrics here.

Questions for Reflection

1) This song links spiritual formation with evangelism. Is that a connection you’ve spent time considering before? How do you see them interacting in your life? Spend some time before God asking him to continue his work of transformation in you, that your life might be completely yielded for his purposes.

2) Think of people in your life to whom you would hope to show the life-changing power of Jesus. What can you build into your daily walk that will remind you to pray for them, asking God to touch your relationship with them and show them the depth of his love?

3) The opening lines of this song are worth sitting with. Read them slowly and consider what it is they say to you personally:

I don't wanna hear anymore
Teach me to listen
I don't wanna see anymore
Give me a vision

4) Read and reflect on this passage of Scripture. Let it lead you into prayerful worship and gratitude:

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”—1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)