1/6/15: Undercover Christian

I have two favorite reality shows. One is Shark Tank and the other is Undercover Boss. In the latter, the boss of the company disguises himself and goes in to work alongside his employees. The object of the show is to give the high-powered executive a taste of his own medicine in terms of how the company’s policies, practices, and procedures are actually affecting his workers. However, sometimes the employees treat this “new guy” harshly, become impatient as he tries to master certain tasks, or say things roughly to him. In response, many times he wants to say, “Do you know who I am?” Undoubtedly, the workers would respond to him differently and would probably constantly put their best foot forward if they knew his true identity.

Perhaps people are not responding to us as we’d like them to because we are not revealing our true identity. And maybe we’re not revealing our true identity because we don’t know what it is ourselves. According to Jesus, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house” Matthew 5:13-15 (NKJ, emphasis added).

The Greek word for ‘salt’ used here is ‘halas’ which figuratively means ‘prudence.’ Being the salt of the earth, then, means that we are the wisdom, the reason, and the good judgment needed in society to know how to handle our world and our lives in a disciplined manner. As believers, we are the caution sign to our world. By the same token, as the light of the world, we are the ‘phos’ or that which shines and makes manifest that which must be seen.

Life is not reality TV and there’s no need to disguise ourselves as undercover Christians in order to work alongside others. Knowing who we are should naturally lead to living as who we are. Jesus follows His description of us with an admonition for us. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:16 (NKJ). If we’d start living as the salt and light we’re supposed to be, we’d probably be pleasantly surprised at how others begin to treat us and how we’d see the Lord’s name honored.

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©2015 Sharon Norris Elliott. Feel free to forward this devotion in its entirety, including this copyright line. Leave comments, ask questions, read past devotions, or subscribe to receive these devotions daily in your e-mail at www.sanewriter.wordpress.com. Also, periodically check in at www.LifeThatMatters.net to see what’s going on in the ministry.

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