Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.    Luke 6:31-33 HCSB

I think wanting to fit in is what keeps a number of us from surrendering our lives to Christ. I know it’s what kept me down for many years. We don’t want to stand out. We want to just blend in. But in this particular teaching, known as the Beatitudes, Jesus clearly tells those gathered and His disciples that if we are poor on earth, the kingdom of God is ours. He tells them that those who are hungry are blessed for they shall be satisfied. He tells them that those who are weeping are blessed because they shall laugh. In other words, He is telling them that our suffering here on earth will be nothing compared to the joy we will experience for eternity in heaven with God the Father. Paul said in Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with glory that is to be revealed to us.”

When I would ask my parents to allow me to go somewhere to do something that they did not think was a good idea, my reasoning would be “Everyone else is doing it.” And of course their response would be what I’m sure many of you heard growing up, “Well, if everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you want to do it?” The problem we have today is that many people are living lives that will send them straight to hell. When we look at the world around us, even the commercials on television, it’s as if the majority feel they are right when they live lives contradictory to what the Bible says. Isaiah 5:20 tells us, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” We are certainly seeing this everywhere we look today. We are having sin crammed down our throats and being told that we should accept it. We should embrace it. We should unite with those who are sinning and approve of sinful living.

When we ask ourselves what’s the difference, our answer should be, “I am.” We are told in Ephesians 5:1 that we are to be imitators of God. We are not to blend in with the crowd. We are not to go along to get along, but we are to stand out. We are to stick out like a rose among thorns. If we are truly imitating Christ, we will look different from those in the world. We only have two choices. We can be worldly and blend in with those who are of this world or we can do our best to be godly and try our best to live in the way the Bible instructs us to live. We can treat others as the Bible instructs us to treat them. Our scripture simplifies that by saying to treat them in the way that we would want them to treat us. It doesn’t say to treat them like they treat us, but how we would like for them to treat us.

If we love the Lord, we will stand out. We will shine like a light in the darkness. This world is getting darker and darker everyday, it needs more light. Wouldn’t it be great if being a Christian was the norm? Wouldn’t it be great if we could unite like the first churches because we all had one common goal and that was to put Jesus first in our lives and live in obedience to Him?

So, I ask you today are you the difference? When people look at you, do they see someone who is filled with the peace and joy that comes from being a Christ follower? Do they see someone that puts Jesus first? Do they see someone that loves others even when they tend to be unlovable? Do they see someone that does good to those that may not be good to them? Or, do they see someone that blends in with the world today? Do they see someone that may go to church every Sunday, but doesn’t look or talk any different than all the other sinners?

1 John 1:9 tells us that if we will confess our sin, He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. As Christians we aren’t perfect we are just forgiven. We show our appreciation to God by extending that forgiveness to others. Luke 6:36 says, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

If you stand up for Christ, that’s a good thing. Others should see something different in those that are Christians. When those around us ask, “What’s the difference?” The answer should be, “We are.”

Have a great day!