There are always those who stand out among us as special in some way. As I look back over reunion photos and see how their lives actually turned out, I wonder why we felt that way about them.
Ones I felt would go on to college and be standouts in some important career, never went on to college. Others that were outstanding athletes in school seem to disappear into the woodwork. On the other hand, there are those who we hardly noticed that end up college presidents or NASA space engineers. It’s crazy!
One of my friends had a friend that I’ll call Bob. My friend and several others thought that Bob was outstanding in the area of following the Lord. But then one day my friend said to Bob, “I think I finally found someone else who is more committed to the Lord than you”. Bob was shocked, not that someone else was considered more dedicated than he was, but that others had put him on a pedestal like that. He had never set out to be in competition with someone else, nor to try to be better than someone else.
However, the truth of the matter is that people are watching us and that we touch people’s lives every day without even knowing it. Many times our “touches” create situations in which people are changed. They may be changes we never see; nevertheless, changes that started from our example, good or bad. That was what Bob did for several of us – in a good way, but he wasn’t aware of it.
I read this the other day: “There are so many things we can do to make the world better if we just allow the glow of God’s glory to shine through in our lives.” Some of these things might seem unimportant, trivial or even worthless to us and yet, they might mean the world to another.
I remember reading once of a man looking back over his childhood and noting a day of fishing with his dad. That day was a very significant day to him, one of special relationship with his dad. However, in looking over his dad’s diary years later, his dad had recorded that same day by deeming it a day of little value. He considered it a wasted day, frittered away fishing with his son. To one it was one of the most important days of his remembrance. To the other, a day squandered.
We need, therefore, to be careful how we live. Others see our actions, our days and how we live them. The Apostle Paul felt the necessity to remind those under his care to live well. In Colossians 4:56, he says; “Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.” (The Message) Then he also wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:11; “So support one another. Keep building each other up as you have been doing.” (Voice) We may be a stand-out for someone. Who knows? Let’s give them something worth emulating.
– Just a Thought Dale Fillmore is lead pastor at New Day Church.
