What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God! (Mark 1:24)
Our reputations often precede us when we enter new environments. I remember when I spoke to a group of women who were survivors of sexual abuse. The invitation came from the leader of the group. She was inspired after hearing someone else share how they were impacted by my story and felt I could also impact her members. Of course, I accepted; however, I felt anxious about the invitation. I knew very little about the members of the group, other than that they were survivors of some form of sexual abuse, yet they already knew my story. Thus, they were expecting a new personal and relatable experience from a different kind of speaker.
Similarly, the impure spirits knew of Jesus. His reputation for driving out demons, healing the sick, and helping the poor reached them long before he did. They knew they could expect a different experience. What’s more, they understood his presence threatened theirs. Whereas, the participants in the survivors’ group were excited based on what they knew about me, the impure spirits were concerned based on what they knew about Jesus.
We Christ-followers must remain mindful of the reputation we are creating for ourselves. God calls us to impact the world for his kingdom, which means we must live our lives in a way that shares the image of God with others.
Let your reputation as a Christ-follower precede you with everyone you meet.
Tara Klein—a lover of words—shares her imperfect, unconventional Christian journey as a female, mother, and wife to invite others into God’s unconditional love.
© 2020 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
