“Then they took him to the high council of the city. ‘Come and tell us about this new teaching,’ they said. You are saying some rather strange things, and we want to know what it’s all about.” (Acts 17:19-20 NLT)
Do you know any strange people? The more I progress in my Alzheimer’s journey, the more strange people seem to me. Hmmmm! Could it be I’m the one becoming more strange? Nah, can’t be! Of course, there are those who think I’ve always been strange (yeh, I can hear you giggling! 😊) I’ve digressed!
What constitutes something that’s strange to you? Typically, as with the time Paul was visiting Athens, strange is anything with which we’re not familiar. Think of when you first came to know Jesus. Many of the disciplines and habits we form as believers were very strange to us. Attending church, praying, giving money, sharing our faith, giving up habits that we’re hurting us physically, emotionally, financially, spiritually, or otherwise.
A.W. Tozer caught my attention when he wrote: “Go to church once a week and nobody pays attention. Worship God seven days a week and you become strange!” What is it about my life or yours that seems strange to those in our families or other spheres of influence? Could it be it should be strange if others don’t see things in us that seem strange to them in a good way?
Remember “strange” can equal “unfamiliar,” so, if there are those who aren’t saved viewing our life and finding nothing that’s different than how they conduct their lives, perhaps it should be a red flag to us. If we have the same habits, use the same language, frequent the same bars, share the same views on life, love, and what’s right and wrong, where is our “witness” for Christ?
Yes, of course, we’re going to have things in common with those who don’t yet know the Lord, but there should be distinctives that set us apart and likely seem strange to those outside the faith. When I go to restaurants with someone who doesn’t know the Lord, I let them know that I always offer thanks to the Lord for my food and ask their permission to pray for our meal. If they object in any way, I simply bow my head and pray silently.
Christ followers have distinctives that set them apart from others, some of which may seem very strange, but they can also be avenues of opportunity for us to introduce others to the Lord. It may seem strange to those with whom we work that we go from work to a Men’s or Women’s meeting that focuses on our growth in the Lord. Or it may seem strange that we use our break to do a prayer walk or spend time reading God’s Word.
In the book of Acts there were many distinctives that seemed very strange, but very attractive to their non-believing friends. On the Day of Pentecost believers were given the gift of speaking in languages they’d never learned, which was a very strange phenomenon, yet, was God’s tool for bringing thousands to Himself. In Acts 2 Paul outlines what the new Christian community looked like and closed the chapter by writing: “And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”
The early Christian believers didn’t wait for the Pastor to preach and give an invitation, their strange, Christian behavior was so inviting they had their family members, friends, and neighbors coming to them to learn about their new faith. Would to God that would be the case with us today.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 