The Need To Stand Out

“The Need To Stand Out”

By Zach Wood

Matthew 5:14-16

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Whether we are driving down the road, taking a walk, going to run errands or visiting with friends and family, we always seem to find something that really catches our attention.  Whether it be a sign on the road, a landmark that is decorated or someone dressed in a costume, it catches our attention.  We all have something that easily catches our attention and draws our concentration away from everything else.

Many times while we are driving to different places around town or out of town, we will see one of those old time cars drive by.  We quickly get our girl’s attention and we all gaze upon the stylish looking vehicle.  It’s fun to see those cars. 

There are so many things that look different that seem to catch our attention.  Why is that?  Because it’s something that looks different.  It stands out.  It’s easily noticeable.  It draws our attention away from everything else.  We are captivated by what we see.  It brings a smile to our face and a sense of awe to our senses to see something that is really cool looking.  It’s out of the norm.  It’s unique.

There are certain things that stand out and draw attention just because they are different.  They’re not normal sightings.  They capture attention. 

I can’t help but think this is exactly how Jesus wants us to be in our life with Christ.  We shouldn’t be like the rest of the crowd. We shouldn’t be just like everyone else.  When people see us walk through the crowd, when they see us interacting with others, they should see something different and very unique.  They shouldn’t be the same old, same old.  When they look at us, they should notice something different and out of the ordinary. 

With Christ living in us, we should shine a light for others to see.  What we do should stand out from the rest of the world.  God has called us to be unique and to stand out from the rest.  There should be something very different about the way we live our life.  In this world we live in today, there is a great need to stand out and be different than the rest.  God calls us to stand out and shine our light so that others know there is something different.  That in turn will eventually compel them to ask what is so different about us. 

God needs us to stand out.  Are we willing to be different?