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Standing Out In The Crowd!!!

Are we noticeably different to those around us? There should be no mistaking a life that has been transformed by Almighty God! If we have allowed God to cleanse us and make us new in His glory, those changes should be evident to others, even if we never say a word. The way in which we conduct ourselves should give testimony of the transformed life we are now living through Christ our Lord. We should have such an "aura" about us, that it would cause others to stop and ask, "What does that person have in life that I don't?" We should be living lives that stand out in the crowd!

"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13.

Take a look at the disciples when they first started following Jesus, and as they walked with Him. You will notice over and over that they were vain and fearful. They had doubts, they even struggled against each other to gain the places of greatest honor next to Jesus. Over and over in the Scriptures the disciples actions showed that they did not truly understand who Jesus was! Even Peter, after three years of walking with Christ, was afraid to confess Christ to a servant girl. Anyone who knew these men would realize that they were not the kind of people on whom you would build a worldwide kingdom. However, the Bible teaches us that after Christ left, hundreds upon thousands of people were brought to Christ by these same men! How is that possible?

Something happened to these men as they walked with Christ. They were transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and the transformation was evident in their lives! They were given new boldness and wisdom. They performed miracles and they preached fearlessly to the multitudes about the saving grace of the Lord Jesus. Even their enemies noticed in their changed lives the same power that they had witnessed in Jesus!

What about us? Many of us want desperately for others around us to believe the we have changed. We want others to see that we are more godly, more devoted, more Spirit-controlled. We do and say things to get that kind of attention from others. But why? I believe that all the things we do to convince others of the saving grace of Christ is not necessary. If we have been truly transformed by Christ, the change will be obvious. We will not have to convince others of the difference. They will see it! We will stand out in a crowd!

Friends, we should not become too introspective, always focusing on ourselves and the small changes to us we see happening over time to us. As we walk daily with Christ, we need to let the witness of the changes taking place in us come from others and not from us. We shouldn't have to do things to get others to notice the difference in our lives. They should notice that we are different just from the evidence of Christ in our life, without us doing a thing. They should see that we have been with Jesus. That we walk with Him daily! I believe that if we have to somehow "prove" to others that Jesus has really changed us, He hasn't! Those around us will automatically notice when our life has been transformed by our relationship with Jesus. We will stand out in a crowd and cause others to inquire, "What do you have that I don't, because I want it to!"

May God Richly Bless You Today!! H Trent!

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