Scripture:  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16 NI),.

One of my favorite allegories was told by an ancient Russian rabbi to illustrate the value of a story. He portrayed Truth as a naked young man sitting by the side of the road sobbing because no one would listen to him. Along came Story, a beautiful young woman dressed in resplendent clothing.  “Well, look at you—there’s nothing attractive about you!” she exclaimed.  She shared her story-clothing with him and accompanied him back to the village that had rejected him. The villagers delightedly listened to her stories, thought about them, and slowly let the eternal truths therein change their lives.

I have thought a great deal about her rebuke, “There’s nothing attractive about you!” When I try to tell others about Jesus, does the ugliness of my life repel them? It’s said of Mohandas Gandhi that he was attracted to our Lord’s teachings, but the worldliness of the Christians turned him away—to his loss and the millions who followed him.

The only sermon I can ever preach with conviction is my changed life.  I must not portray my faith as entertainment or conformity to custom, but as that which truly makes a difference in me—today and every day. St Francis of Assisi is reported to have said, “Preach Jesus, and if necessary, use words.” Our own American poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson, expressed this principle perhaps most succinctly: “What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.”

 Prayer: Lord Jesus, please help me share You by living a life that is truly different and attractive to those who do not know you—today and every day.  Amen.