A Laundry Disaster
We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Philippians 1:27
Insight
I waved goodbye to my parents, ready to embark on my college experience. Before I could turn around, I watched in horror as their car came to a screeching halt. My mom hopped out and began heading toward me. "C'mon, mom...time to cut the cord," I muttered. Even though she wanted one last hug, that wasn't the main reason for her returning. She needed to tell me how a washer and dryer worked.
Why? Because, you guessed it, I had never done a load of laundry in my life. Eventually, when I didn't have a piece of clean clothing to my name, I headed down to the dorm basement to do a load of laundry. I threw in my clothes, tossed some detergent, turned it on, and waited.
I was proud of myself until I opened up the lid. All of my whites had magically turned into a smurf blue color. I had separated the darks from the whites, but one sneaky blue sock got by me and bled into everything else.
As the washer hummed, I was unaware of one item's influence on the whole. Our role as Christians and our relationship with the world around us work similarly. As we live out our new identity in Christ, we affect the culture of our world.
We do so not in a brash way or with a "look at me" mindset. Neither does how we make an impact come from sticking out by being judgmental, weird, or offensive. We're not called to be the moral police but to live in such a way that people notice our willingness to love, forgive, seek justice, and bring value to the marginalized.
We're urged to be salt, and the purpose of salt is to provide much-needed flavor to everything it touches. We bring a bit of God's Kingdom to the world in a nearly undetectable way. This subversive nature does its work behind the scenes.
Scripture speaks about us being Christ's ambassador, which means we represent His character through our actions and words. When people look at our lives, they should see Christ, and at the heart of Who he is, was humility, love, and sacrifice. He didn't seek the spotlight, but that didn't prevent Him from turning the world upside down forever. Living distinct lives might be undetectable, but the impact we have should be undeniable.
Reflection
How are you having an impact and bringing Christ's love to the things you touch?
How can you live a distinct life today?
Prayer
God, let me bring Your love to everything I touch. Help me glorify You in how I care, support, and serve those around me. May I make much of You by showing how this encounter has changed everything about me. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.