Are You Different?

Throughout this post I will use the word "different" a few times. I want you to understand that I don't mean "better than" when I use the word. As a matter of fact dictionary.com gives these definitions for the word "different": not alike in character or quality; differing; dissimilar; not identical; separate or distinct. To be different is not "to be better than", just different. But different is what any follower of Christ is.

First of all, the Bible says we become new. That's different. We're taken out of darkness into His light. There it is again...different. We're born again...different. We're forgiven. BIG DIFFERENT! We're still in this world...but no long are we "of" it. Different. We are connections to Him from the midst of the world. Different. We're to love our enemies and love people who hate us...different again. I could ride this pony for a long, long time. But as you can see, the Keyword is different.

If you are a serious and genuine Christ-follower your standards are different. You are not any better than a "pre-Christian"...but you are different. Your desire is to please God and your conscience is infused with an uncanny ability to feel what God likes and what God dislikes. As a result your standards are different. What does this mean? It means that much of what you did you don't do now. Much of the way you once talked...you no longer talk that way. Much of what you used to think, you no longer think. Does that make you better than anyone? Absolutely not. But you are different and your standards are different.

The world is craving a generation that will live by different standards...the standards of God. But to do so these people would stick out like a sore thumb. They would have to continuously go against the flow and standards of the world. There would probably be some ridicule and even persecution...even in America! But that is what God's creation craves...a generation whose standards are different. Are you ready? Are your standards different?