Live Different

by Andrew Cromwell

Dave Ramsey, the radio host and financial guru, says, “Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else.” There is a lot of truth in that statement. For his purposes, he is talking about handling your finances in a way that is different from how most people do. Most people borrow more than they can afford and then they spend it on things they don’t need only to spend the rest of their lives paying for it. But for those that decide to restrict their spending, get out of debt and invest wisely now — even though it is difficult to do and even though it might mean driving an older car, getting a second job, or living in a smaller house — there is a payoff on the other side.

Live differently and you get a different outcome.

But how you manage your money isn’t the only way we should live differently. Those who follow Christ should live differently in many ways. Jesus said to His followers, “I chose you to come out of this world.” And in Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome, he writes, “Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. “

It is pretty clear that Christians are supposed to be non-conformists. This doesn’t mean that they are supposed to disagree and get into arguments with everyone (which it seems some believe is their personal calling), but rather that they are to live their lives in a way that honors God. God wants ownership of every area of our lives and this means that as followers of Christ we should live differently in all areas, but we will name a few specifics.

For those that follow Christ, their thoughts, behaviors, and relationships should all be conducted in a way that honor God.

in thoughts…   We see over and over again in Scripture, God’s thoughts are different than humankind’s thoughts. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes reading Jesus’ Words that we begin to see how differently He wanted His followers to view the world and people. We are struck by His concepts of leadership, servanthood, forgiveness, and grace. These concepts are so different from our natural human concepts that we struggle to even hold them in our mind for longer than a few moments. But if we are to get them inside of us so they actually become the way we think, then our very thoughts about everything must be changed. The only way to get our thoughts in sync with His thoughts is by repeated exposure to the cleaning power of the Word (the Bible). This means we must read, memorize, think about and talk about it!

in behaviors…  The Apostle Paul reminds Christ-followers that their bodies don’t belong to them, but they belong to Christ. He compares the bodies of those who have given their hearts to Christ to temples of worship. Temples are cared for, kept clean, and are set apart for worship services. In the same way, the body of the believer should be cared for. What goes in it, how it is used, where it is taken, and what it does should all reflect that this body belongs to Christ.

in relationships…  The way we treat ALL other people should be characterized by kindness, patience, deference and humility. This includes the people we like and the people we don’t like. Interestingly, Jesus said the way we should treat even those who hate us is with love and goodness. So Christians shouldn’t go around cutting people down to size with their words, waving at people with that special finger, or losing their temper when other people are dumb. Instead, they are to treat every person as one who is valuable and precious (because they are).

Following Christ is not a recreational sport. It is a life-decision. But for those who choose this way of life, Jesus promised to give an enduring joy and a continuing strength to face all of life’s challenges.