Obvious, adj. > easily perceived or understood; quite apparent
Yesterday, I showed a video about a couple with two young children (one newborn) who recently decided to leave the comfort of home and move to Indonesia. Why would they want to do that? Well, for them it is a matter of fulfilling God's purpose for their lives: showing and sharing the love of Christ with those who are not yet followers of Christ. In the video, this young couple said something that I found very thought-provoking:
"We need to live our lives in such a way that demands an explanation."
What they mean is that we (Christ-followers) ought to be so in love with Jesus that our lives are radically different from those who do not yet know Jesus. In other words, our neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family members should notice something obviously different about us--about the way we spend our time and money, about the way we talk, and about the way we love others. And noticing this OBVIOUS difference in our lives, they should be inspired to ask: What's so different about you? Why are you so crazy about this Jesus guy?
I hate to admit it, but I'm just not sure I'm obvious enough. If I were to interview my neighbors or friends, I'm not confident they would call me a radical, crazy, sold-out follower of Christ. Sure, they might say I was a good guy or a nice neighbor. But following Christ goes way beyond the good guy or nice neighbor kind of living. The world desperately needs to see unmistakable Christ-followers, followers who OBVIOUSLY love God, love the church, and love the people around them. God, give me the desire and the courage to be more obvious.
To see the video I showed yesterday, go to http://www.cornerstonesimi.com/special/media_player.html and view the message by Francis Chan titled "What Do You Need in Order to Be Happy?"
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