Is It Obvious Who You've Been With?

As a parent it's usually pretty easy to tell who your kids have been around, just by the what they say and how they act. Whether someone's been a good influence of not will quickly show up in your child. Does the same thing carry over to adults? Absolutely! If you're not careful you can slip right into what others are doing around you, without even realizing. Have you ever noticed that being around people who have bad attitudes can quickly cause you to have one? Or around someone who's gossiping or complaining? Before long you've jumped on their bandwagon and are gossiping and complaining. I really don't think this is pleasing to the Lord, when He's called us to be lights than shine in a dark world. In Acts 4 we see God moving powerfully in the early church. Because of what's going on Peter and John are arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin where Peter speaks. After he's done, those there make this amazing statement in Acts 4:13 (AMP). "Now when they saw the boldness and unfettered eloquence of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and untrained in the schools [common men with no educational advantages], they marveled; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus." It was obvious to them that these men had been with Jesus. Why? Because of what they said, how they carried themselves and what they did. Shouldn't it be obvious to those around us that we too have been with Jesus? Shouldn't everything we say and do indicate clearly who we serve and live for? Unfortunately all too often this doesn't happen. Christians are full of hypocrisy, speaking and acting no different from the world they live in. Many Christians will be inviting people to Easter services this weekend, but why would people want to go if they see no difference in the way we live from how they live? Live in such a way that it's unmistakeable who you've been with today :)