In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:16 (NLT)
The other day I was sitting in traffic; something I try to avoid but in a city it’s expected at times. I noticed on the back of the car in front of me a sticker that said “Proud to be a __________.” There was a denomination listed. Fill in the blank with your denomination if you want.
Then, I started looking at the backs of other cars. Some had those little stickers that show you how many people are in the family, including pets. Some had stickers that showed what political affiliation with which the occupants align. One had a sticker for a Christian radio station in our area, WGTS. I see this one a lot. And sometimes you see it on cars whose drivers are not acting “Christian” when they drive.
Made me think about how we label ourselves and then in turn, label each other. While it seems like this is especially prevalent now, it’s been happening since the beginning of time. It was happening in Christ’s day as well. To the Jews, if you were a Samaritan you were less than. To the Gentiles, if you were a Jew you didn’t measure up. Then, there were the financial classes and slaves and owners of slaves. And, if you were a man or a woman, that determined a lot about your abilities.
What does Jesus say about all this labeling? All he cared (and still cares) about is that you love God. He said that if you were truly in love with God, it would show in your behavior. It would show in your obedience to him and it would show in how you treat each other.
Maybe we should have stickers that say “God Lover” or “Mad about Jesus” so we could put them on our cars? Oh wait, that won’t work. Just because you have something stuck on your car doesn’t mean it’s stuck in your heart.