Today in the One Year Bible, Paul tells us not to live like pagans anymore. He says in Ephesians 4:17-32 that their minds are full of darkness, because they've closed them off to the light. So instead, we should live lives of peace and joy and love and kindness and gentleness and all of the other fruits of the Spirit.
But we should take this reasoning one step further. While we should not live like those who don't know Him, neither should we expect those who don't know Him to live like they do. Very often we become frustrated with those who are not in touch with God because they aren't patient or kind. We criticize those outside of the church for being immature and argumentative and cynical and biting and rude. But isn't this what we should expect? When we meet people who don't know Jesus, and they are kind loving people, we should be surprised and grateful that they've learned to be this way. But we should expect everyone who doesn't know Him to lack the characteristics that we gain from knowing Him, right?
The logic is simple, but so often we forget it when we are out in traffic, or when someone is rude to us at the store. Since we DO know Him, it's up to us to set the example. To love and forgive and be kind, especially to those who lack those characteristics, so that they might see our good works and glorify God.
God, please remind us to be good examples of Your love... especially to those who don't know You.
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