Dare to be Different!

Different! This is the word that stood out to me while having a conversation with my sister Simone. She and I were having a conversation about this guy she was talking to, and as she was talking to me about him, I asked what it was that she liked about him, and her response was, "He's different." Not only did she say that he was different, but she also told me how he was different. Surely, most of us has said this about someone we dated, and if you are married I'm sure one of the reasons you married the person is because they were different, unique, and distinct from all the others. But, just as they are different, we as Christians are to be different...and set apart from this world.

The purpose of this post is about being different, or to be different than the world.

In the book of Daniel, the first chapter, the prophet Daniel is a good example of being different because he was different from everyone else. Chapter 1 also gives us the example of Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah of how we are to be different like they were.

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came and laid siege to Jerusalem. 2 The Lord handed over to him Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and some of the vessels of the temple of God, which he carried off to the land of Shinar, and placed in the temple treasury of his god.

3 The king told Ashpenaz, his chief chamberlain, to bring in some of the Israelites of royal blood and of the nobility, 4 young men without any defect, handsome, intelligent and wise, quick to learn, and prudent in judgment, such as could take their place in the king's palace; they were to be taught the language and literature of the Chaldeans; 5 after three years' training they were to enter the king's service. The king allotted them a daily portion of food and wine from the royal table. 6 Among these were men of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The chief chamberlain changed their names: Daniel to Belteshazzar, Hananiah to Shadrach, Mishael to Meshach, and Azariah to Abednego.

8 But Daniel was resolved not to defile himself with the king's food or wine; so he begged the chief chamberlain to spare him this defilement. 9 Though God had given Daniel the favor and sympathy of the chief chamberlain, 10 he nevertheless said to Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king; it is he who allotted your food and drink. If he sees that you look wretched by comparison with the other young men of your age, you will endanger my life with the king." 11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief chamberlain had put in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for ten days. Give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then see how we look in comparison with the other young men who eat from the royal table, and treat your servants according to what you see." 14 He acceded to this request, and tested them for ten days; 15 after ten days they looked healthier and better fed than any of the young men who ate from the royal table. 16 So the steward continued to take away the food and wine they were to receive, and gave them vegetables.

After reading this, you can see here that verse 8 tells us what we need to know. "But Daniel was resolved not to defile himself with the king's food or wine; so he begged the chief chamberlain to spare him this defilement." Not only was Daniel different from the others who worked for the King, but his friends were also different. Every time Daniel and his friends sat at the table with all the other young men training to serve the king, they were different because they ate vegetables and drank water only....while the others were eating all the King's food and drank wine. They resolved not to defile themselves with the royal food and wine. Note: Though I only pasted Chapter 1 from the book of Daniel...chapter 3 also contrasts worldly men with men of God.

In sum, the application of this post is very simple. Be like Daniel! Remember, we can make a difference in the world, by being in the world, but not of the world...with the power of the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 6:17 says, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you," God commands His people to be separate from the world. We are in the world, but we are not of the world."

NOTE: You will not see perfection in a Christian, but you will see something different in that person!

It's not just God watching you!

Frustrated, irritable, and spaced out is what described me today at work, or shall I say this has been me at work several days before this day. And according to one of my co-workers, she said I was kind of out of myself at our unit meeting today. I admit that I have been frustrated and irritable with the demands of my job. However, it never crossed mind that my co-worker was watching me.

While most people know me as a bubbly, cheerful, joyful, and happy go lucky person, this was a good reminder to me that…you never know who’s watching you! Not only that, but from a Christian perspective, we as Christians must realize that God isn’t the only one watching us, but the world is watching us too. Most of us don't give it much thought, but people do watch us. They are watching to find out what a Christian is like, how we react under pressure, what we do when the going gets rough, and what we do when there seems to be no way out! That said, this post is about being an example.

Let's look at the book of 1 Timothy

In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul tells Timothy…“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity”.

In this case, we have Paul telling Timothy to demonstrate who God is through actions. And we can see here that Timothy has a duty. He is to set an example for Christians to follow. Not only that but Timothy is being watched and with that being said, you never know who is watching you from a far or even close for that matter. People watch you while you don’t think anybody is. The same is also true with parents and children. Even when you don't realize it, they are constantly watching and learning from you. Not only that, but they learn more from you by the eye, than they do by the ear...and that's why we as Christians should continually remember the influence of our own example. They see our ways, note our conduct, observe our behaviour, and what they see us do. As I stated earlier in this post, it never crossed my mind that my co-worker was watching me, but it did bring to my attention that I need to be cognizant of my reactions to situations as a Christian.
Always remember, someone, somewhere is watching you! That someone is watching you at home, church, work, school, and in your neighbourhood and that’s why Titus 2:7 tells us, "In everything set them an example by doing what is good. So, while it’s safe to say that we need to provide an example for others to see, it's important to keep in mind that there are two kinds of examples: by what you do and what you do not do.

Conclusion

Let this post be a good reminder to you that you never know who's watching you, or who may be basing their verdict about God on the way you handle your circumstances, your emotions, and your situations. Remember, many times we are the only example that people will have of God. So let us be an example to people in words, in temper, in diligence, in moderation, in faith, in love, in kindness, and in humility to our family, friends, spouse, co-workers, neighbour's, etc...After all, you never who's watching your example.

Note to self : Stay Focused!

Life is full of distractions! Most of us are distracted several times, if not dozens of times, every day. As for me, I work in a distracting work environment and where I work, I am constantly faced with a number of distractions, (i.e., co-workers, clients, e-mails, phone calls, etc.) and with that being said, staying focused can be tough. As we all know, distractions are just part of life, but from a biblical perspective, a distraction would be anything that draws your attention away from God, His Word, and His plan and purpose for your life. 

I myself, become distracted in so many other ways all too often. Even in opening my computer to write this, I found myself clicking on something else. But, if I really want to be distracted, all I have to do is turn on my phone. While God has been trying to help me recognize and understand the distractions in my life, my biggest distraction was Facebook... and after realizing how much of a distraction it had become to me and my focus on God, I decided to deactivate my account temporarily. Other things like the TV, internet, social media, cell phones, etc. can also be distractions. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with any of those things, but when they become a distraction from God, that's the point it is detrimental...and Satan’s desire, more than ever, is to distract us from God, His word, and His plan and purpose for our lives.

1 Corinthians 7:35 says,  “And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.”

Let's look at Nehemiah 6:1-3...¹ Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) ² That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. ³ And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
 
As you can see, Satan tried to distract Nehemiah from the work of God, but he doesn't allow himself to be distracted by Satan's tactics. In the text, Nehemiah responded, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?”... That said, Nehemiah refused to be distracted! Nehemiah understood his mission and was committed to keep focused on his mission. 

In closing, God has something for all us to do, but we must not get distracted. We must STAY FOCUSED ON GOD! Now while some people are diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD), a case could be made that we also have at least some form of spiritual attention deficit disorder too. However, it's important to note that life will distract you, but you don't have to stay distracted. Proverbs 4:25-27 says, "Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. 26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. 27 Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” As you see, this proverb is all about FOCUS. This encourages us to stay on the course, fix on what's important. 

STAY FOCUSED ON GOD!