Live such good lives among the pagans. (1 Peter 2:12)
When we don’t know what else to say, we talk about the weather. It’s a conversation starter between all people. In northern Indiana, where I live, weather talk often deteriorates into weather complaining. Winters are gray and long. Spring is beautiful and usually lasts about two days. Summers are muggy and buggy. It’s easy to find camaraderie with others by complaining about the temperature in almost any season. But I recently decided that I love winter—and the other three seasons too. I chose not to complain about something I can’t control, but to be thankful for the unique gift God provides outside every day. It’s often hard to be positive if everyone else is negative. It takes courage to be different.
In 1 Peter 2, we are reminded to live differently than the world around us. People who aren’t following Jesus will often conform to a culture of negativity, selfishness, or even darkness. Christians are easily tempted to go with the flow of others at work, home, or school. But Jesus wants us to live, talk, and think like him, even when others are not. What is the result of being different? Sometimes it means you’ll be mocked or ignored. But ultimately, God will shine through your life and speak to the hearts of others in a way that may draw them to himself.
Say something positive to three people today.
Jarod Osborne is lead pastor of Pathway [Wesleyan] Church, in Warsaw, Indiana. He is the author of Jaded Faith (WPH).
© 2023 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
