A friend from my nursing school days emailed me recently about how she was taken by surprise as she appeared in the guest pastor’s message at the small country church she attends. He had been a classmate of hers many years ago and his sermon was about living out our faith. She was a studious student and rarely talked to him but had a class or two together; but evidently, he was observing her life. The pastor lost his father at age 14 and became a very angry young man. He and his family were regular “church goers” but he hadn’t had a personal relationship with Jesus. He had seen his dad became a “changed person” at some point, and he would often ask his dad questions about God and the Bible. The Pastor said that in high school he would watch four classmates—one being my friend and her best friend and another gal and guy. He saw Jesus in them. When one of them went to summer camp at Asbury College between her junior and senior years of high school she became truly born again and witnessed to this young man. He however went off to a state school for his freshman year of college. Then he thought he had to go to Asbury to get what he saw this gal had. So, he transferred to Asbury his second year and thought all the students were crazy because they were so happy. At some point he surrendered his life to the Lord during a revival. He became a pastor and has had a lifetime of serving God in that capacity.
The point of this pastor’s sermon was how important it is live our lives so that people see Jesus in us. My friend had no idea in high school that she was being watched and having a positive influence in a classmate’s life! She was humbled and honored and gave glory to the Lord. We may not have any idea who may be watching us, but it is important that we live like a Jesus follower. A verse I learned as a young girl from Matt. 5:16 says it well, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
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