How often do you wish that things were different? Guess what, so does God! The difference often is that we want this or that circumstance to be different, or this or that person to be different — but God wants me (and you) to be different!
God has called us to himself and tells us, “What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.'” (2 Corinthians 6:15-18)
If different isn’t a label you would like to wear, some passages say that God has called us from among the nations to be a “peculiar” people! 🙂 God always expected that his chosen people, his royal priesthood, would stand out and be noticed for their qualities that reflect his nature. If I am no different from the world — from those outside of a relationship with Christ — in the way I talk, live, work, interact with friends and enemies, and play then what do I really have that they are in need of and how will they know I have something they need?
Paul writes to the Ephesians in chapter 4 about the body of Christ and the unity it ought to have. He describes that unity coming from the body completely functioning under the Head, that is, Christ! This occurs when the body is equipped by those gifted for the equipping of the members so that each part does the work it was designed to do. A huge stumbling block to this happening is our refusal to be different — to leave the ways of the world that we are comfortable with. Paul puts it this way, “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.” The first readers would have heard that sentence as a command to no longer live as pagans, as those outside of relationship with God!
So, if we’re to be different — a peculiar people — it is likely that most of us will be need to be “Turning a New LEAF” in some areas of our life. As it turns out, I just preached a sermon this morning with that very title! 🙂
When we choose to be different from the world we need a new Language! The language we use in our communication methods says a lot about what is inside of us. Jesus says that it is out of the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks. The same can be said of our written and other communication forms. I have a good number of friends on Facebook and see a lot of posts in a week’s time. It is rather alarming to see the language that many people use in this social media venue. A good number of them, I am confident, would never dream of using the words or suggestive nature of their posts in face-to-face communication but they seem to have bought in to the idea that everyone “talks” that way on-line so it is okay. As we consider the new language God desires for us to have, he says we should “not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” I think the same instruction applies to our other forms of communication as well.
We also need to have a new Eye as we seek to live differently from those outside of relationship with Christ. Jesus says the eye is the light to our body — some translations would say it is the window to our soul. Either way, the application is the same — if the eye is filled with evil, the whole body becomes filled with darkness. While it may be nearly impossible to keep our eyes from seeing inappropriate things and images, we should have control over how long we gaze at such things. If we watch the same shows, go to the same movies, view the same websites as the world and simply pass it off as “that’s just the way entertainment is now days”, what does that say about our desire to be holy as Christ is holy? Not only do our “new eyes” need to not gaze on that which is inappropriate, they also need to cause us to look at people in a different way. Paul writes to the Corinthians to remind them that since Christ died for all we should “regard no one from a worldly point of view.” As we turn a new leaf, our eyes begin to see every person as Christ sees them — a valuable creation that he loves enough to die for!
Often times, one of the greatest hindrances to living with a new language and a new eye is our need for a new Attitude! Paul writes to the Philippians and reminds them of all the encouragement, comfort, fellowship, tenderness, and compassion they have as a result of being united with Christ. He goes on to tell them that because of all this they ought to have the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus! This new attitude calls for us to look at all we would consider great — even equality with God in the case of Jesus — and consider it not worth holding on to if letting go would benefit others! Our new attitude must consider the eternal good of others above our own wants and desires. We change our language — not out of a legalistic requirement but out of love for people and a desire to reflect Christ more accurately. We change both what we view and how we view — not because we have to in order to meet God’s approval but because we want people to have a glimpse of the holiness of God lived out in our life. This new attitude is a big-time game changer when we decide to humble ourself and consider the needs of others above our own.
If this all sounds easy to you, I can think of only a couple of options. One, you need to teach the rest of us in this area of turning a new leaf and living a life worthy of the calling we have in Christ Jesus. Or two, and more likely :), you need to join the rest of us in pursuing this final aspect of turning a new leaf — living a new Faith! James makes it clear that having a vibrant, living faith is where the rubber meets the road. One easy test to decide if this new faith is needed is to ask yourself a simple question, “What activity is my faith accomplishing?”. James says that a faith that is not doing anything is dead and therefore not really a faith at all! If your belief in God does not compel you to do the things he calls you do then I’m not too sure you really believe in the Almighty God of the Bible. If you fail to act because you don’t belief it’s possible or that your sharing of Jesus will make any difference, then I suspect that you need a new faith — the faith that believes that God really can work together all things for good to those who love him and are called according to his purposes. This living faith ties all three of the other “new leaf” components together as it determines if we really do anything about our language, our eyes, or our attitude! The faith that God calls us to says that I will be different because I know that God can accomplish great things through my weaknesses.
So, do you really wish things were different? Enough that you are willing to be different? I pray that you and I would daily remind ourself that “God wants ME to be different!” I pray that as we decide to turn a new LEAF that we would live with a new Language, a new Eye, a new Attitude, and a new Faith!
