Be surprising
Paul teaches us to catch that smoke before it colors the world grey. Do not let this type of talk come from your mouth. See, when we go on record before others as a Christian, we exist in their minds as a billboard for Christ’s community. The world around you will expect certain things.
As I pulled up to park my Tacoma at Starbucks this week one of those roving billboard trucks drove by on Wrightsboro Road. “Hmmm, I haven’t seen one of those in a while.” My mind went on to wonder about how much an add on one of those units would cost. It seemed that it should be too expensive. Well, my mind went on about its Thursday afternoon computer and coffee chores. Was it worth the cost? I am still thinking about it 3 days later and putting the topic on my blog and in my Sunday school lesson: you decide. Billboards and people can make lasting impressions.
If the words of our mouths are not kind and compassionate, the world will condemn us, at least in their minds. Our good actions may or may not surprise them. What they expect from Christians will relate to what they have experienced or been told in the past. I propose that we live with surprising Christlikeness. Is it possible that others see our good deeds and think and say, “Can you believe what he just did? I could never do that!” Even more, we want their thoughts to stretch beyond us to God.
Surprising leads to glorifying
Recall these words of Christ from the Salt and Light section from the Sermon on the Mount.
16 let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16–NIV)
So as Christians, dump the corruption, live the light. This is the way that God is glorified. May that be surprising to the world around you and me.
More than recognition
Frequently, I find myself thinking to write posts that review the lyrics of songs popular in our secular world. Christians know and listen to them. When they come on in commercials or shows like American Idol my kids seem to know the words. Sometimes I do also, but if I don’t know them I find that I listen to them. All too often they spark against a Biblical view of life. So far I have not dived into the waters of lyrical posts, but those waters are fresh in my thoughts.
That so, when I was stalking through things that I could use as corrupting influences I considered using quips from songs that have reached far up the pop charts. It was not too long before I found myself over at YouTube which was shedding tunes from artists who have made their way in the world: Cindi Lauper, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake. Those songs and those people are smokestacks that have colored our world.
As I listened and pondered these songs, they ended up being too much like rabbit trails. I was chased too far afield with that idea, so I left that trail. I decided not to head in this lyrical direction, but even so, there was a thing I could not shake from my mind. The thing that I could not shake was the emotion, the non-lyrical, that some of these songs parked even during my lesson prep while YouTube was playing. They were evocative. Maybe I could say some of those songs would smoke.
The song I wish to point out from that list is Whitney Houston’s I will always love you. As I am speaking of corrupting influences I want to inject a disclaimer: these lyrics are not corrupting ones, and neither are they the point. What, then, is? That chorus. As soon as Whitney hits that chorus, something happens. It is magnificence. It is internal, emotional, heady. It is perceived, felt. Whitney’s singing is your feeling. It happened in America, the UK, and all over Europe. It happened again on iTunes February 11, 2012, after she passed away and reached the 7th position on Billboard’s Hot 100 the week after she died.
While we are on the subject let me pose a question to you. Do you know who wrote this song? Who first sang this song, and incidentally, who gets royalties for it?1. Click the footnote number to see the answer. Here is a hint. That person also wrote, purportedly on the same day, another song familiar to country music fans: Jolene.
Let us turn back to Paul’s writing. Is it your goal, my goal that when others see your way of life a reaction happens in them? What do they recall? Are they startled over the clear excellence of your deeds? Maybe they disagree with your taking the Bible at face value. Maybe they could never imagine behaving as you did in a certain situation. Most likely we will not be aware of their response. Frankly, we must never make their
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