Telling Us Apart

     How do we as followers of Christ react to and interact with the world around us during Christmas time? In Matthew 5:13-16 we can see the different reactions to the world people have.  We can also see how we are expected to interact with the world.  People react to the world in 3 different ways – hiding, compromising, or shining and living life on the Narrow Road.

     Hiding has two different sides to it.  Some people surround themselves with likeminded Christians and Christian culture. They fill this season up with church parties, church concerts, church services and usually sit with their same church friends. Effectively “putting a basket over” the light God has given them.  Others hide in plain sight of the world by never stepping out and giving out their faith.  They are the one who keep silent, hoping no one will notice them.  Both choose to hide what God has revealed to them and watch as the dieing world shops by.

     Those who choose to comprise begin to look just like the world.  No one can tell them apart from the world.  Christmas seems to mean the same for this person as it does for the one who never understood what Christmas was all about.

     The final reaction Christ followers have is to live life on the Narrow Road and be the salt and light of Matthew 5:13-14.  These are people who stand up for Whom they believe in.  They reflect and tell of Christ’s love for the world.  These believers have seen the great need for God in their own heart and will not sit idly by as the world dies all around them.  Instead they will offer people the Gift that has been offered to humanity nearly 2000 years ago.  The gift of knowing Jesus Christ the Messiah.