I don’t know if this story is true or made up, regardless I wanted to share it:

      ” There is only 5 minutes to spare, and I was 10 minutes behind for a very important business meeting. I ran as fast as I could, with briefcase in hand, I accidentally knocked over a fruit stand just outside of the store that I was so hurriedly trying to escape. I turned to look back as I continued on my way, I saw a young woman, crying as she scrambles to pick up the fruit that I knocked over.

Full of guilt, I slowly turned back to go help this poor woman after all, “I’m going to be late anyway” I thought to myself.’ I was glad I decided to help, because as I approached this young woman, I realized that she was blind.  I knelt to help her, I asked for forgiveness, and I reached into my wallet and laid  $40 in her hand, I asked her to accept this to cover the cost of the damaged fruit, she thanked me with tears flowing from her eyes.  Feeling a little better about myself, but still worried about my meeting, I began to walk away. When suddenly she yelled out to me, “sir, Are you Jesus? “

Whether this is a true story, or a made up one I believe it to be a great illustration, of how little we have to do in order to stand out from society. We are surrounded by grief, heartache, pain, prejudice, and mean spirited people. However, we will not be held accountable to God for the actions of the world around us. We will be held accountable for our own. What are we doing to show the world that Jesus lives in us? 

Are we:

• Cleaning up after ourselves, so no one else has to
• Tipping our waiter or waitress generously
• Helping our elderly neighbor who can no longer care for their yard the way they would like
• Helping the stranger who has a flat tire
• Writing cards to someone who is hurting or needing encouragement
• Saying “thank you” to those who do so much for us
• modeling an example of what a Godly marriage is supposed to be
• Training our children to respect authority, especially authority of the Bible
• Taking time out of our day for prayer, even if we are in public
• sharing a smile with someone who looks depressed
• Offering to study the Bible with someone who is not in Christ?

It doesn’t much effort to do, say, act in a way that lets the world around us know that we are different. What are you going to do today to show Jesus to your family, friends, classmates, co-workers, and strangers that you happen to come across? 

Matthew 5:13-16