(The Christian is the second yellow one from the right.)
I’ve been thinking a lot about this idea that Christians should be different. As someone who was raised as an evangelical Christian, I am sensitive to notions that become more cultural than biblical, and especially towards those things that lead to hypocrisy and self-righteousness – the diseases of the Pharisees. I think this is one of those, and it may be one of the largest contributors to legalism to come out of the church.
The idea that Christians are different is tenaciously defended in almost all Christian circles. It is fully engrained in the church and believed in the world. We have so successfully sold the idea that certain behaviors set us apart that non-Christian are often the first to notice if one of these cultural rules is violated.
Having said that, there are certainly biblical origins of the idea of being different. Jesus talks in the Sermon on the Mount about how His followers are the light of the world and that they should let their light shine before others that “they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). He also said that people would know His disciples by their love for one another (John 13:35). Peter was often concerned about the reputation of Christians for the sake of the gospel, and Paul taught that we are the fragrance of Christ in the world.
But none of these are calculated differences under our control; they are the results of living a life of faith out in the open. I would venture to say that they are almost entirely unconscious – the effect of believers simply being who they are in the world. In fact I think that is the key – our level of consciousness about these “differences.”
Light, love, fragrance and even good deeds are not things we necessarily control as much as they are evidences of Christ living in us. When Christ says to let your light shine among men, He is not saying to make a big deal about your differences; He is saying to get your life out there where it can make a difference by simply being what it is – a vessel of Christ. Making a difference is not the same as being different. One we are in control of; one we are not.
This leads me to conclude that the degree to which we are different should be someone else’s call. It’s the last thing we should be thinking about. If anything, we should be thinking about identifying with those around us – finding those things that make us the same, so we can focus on building relationships instead of building our reputations
John Fischer The Catch 
Exactly! If we have to point out or make a big deal about being different, we’ve totally missed it. Our heart should be different, thus our behavior towards others follows. If the “law of love” that God gave us is written on our hearts, that’s where it emanates from, not from boasting that we “don’t do this or that”.
We don’t do that and we do do this… I like to call that the big do-do!
“Like”
I think the way you referred to it, “our level of consciousness about these ‘differences,’” is insightful (though the differences ought to be real, so I wouldn’t have put that word in quotes). You are quite right that we struggle (whether we realize it or not) with legalism. “Is it performance, or is it fruit?” is perhaps the ultimate question. Most of us are tempted to think of it as performance — and if it is, then that’s a problem. What makes us different really, really should be the fruit of the Spirit — that is, the evidence that God is at work within us. When He is in us, it overflows and affects the world around us. That is truly different – but it is not from us, it is from God Who works within us.
I have come to understand this better through the testimony of a man at our church. For those that knew him before he was saved, there can be no doubt that he is different; that he became a new creation. None of the change was of his doing. It was Christ working in him and through him to make him a different person. Because he is now a different person, he naturally does different things.
Good word John…another seemingly favorite thread is the “come out and be ye separate” application…How would you intersect that into this perspective? Something the Spirit does thru us?
Maybe we’ll have to take up that one next.
“You shall know them by their fruit.”
We cannot make our lives produce fruit; but if we are nurturing the soil, watering, basking in the light, the fruit will come. And it is the fruit that will set us apart and make us different; because all the other trees in the world are either fruitless or bearing rotten fruit.
Are fruit trees aware of their own fruit? In a spiritual sense, I think so. We know if we have peace, joy, love; if we’re being patient, etc. We know. And so do others.
THAT’S the difference. We work in the garden, but the Master Gardener produces the fruit in our lives. And “they will see it and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.”
“Walk by the Spirit…” (Gal. 5:16) and produce “… the fruit of the Spirit…” (Gal. 5:22) The fruit is what makes us different.
Best explanation ever of the Christian difference. Thank you for this clarifying follow-up! So our difference isn’t by effort (impossible!), but more of a culmination of the ripening of the fruits of the spirit. And the fragrance of ripe fruit is definitely sweet. If we live our lives in consciousness not of the differences we should have from non-Christians, but of the difference Christ’s love has made in our lives, and in gratitude for that love, then we can’t help but BE different without any effort at all. Simply obeying Him in gratitude should certainly make us different from “the world.” And such a brilliant point that being conscious of and looking for differences makes us not that different at all. Thank you again!
John, I’ve been following your posts semi-regularly for the last several years. Those years have been very difficult for several reasons but not the least that my 22 yr. old son has schizophrenia. I don’t want to dwell on the pain of that disease as I am sure you are familiar with it given your work and that of your wife’s. What I do want to express is how that disease is playing out in the life my son and me especially given todays topic… differences.
For several years my son’s illness was missdiagnosed and he attempted to live with the psychosis, delusions, paranoia and fear mostly on his own for the last few years. I did my best to help vis-à-vis food, companionship, bail out of ER’s etc. He had no friends and was feared by some due to his bizarre behaviour and odd clothing.
Finally after a particularly bad psychotic attack at a coffee ship with me, the police were called, he was taken to a Psyche Ward again but this time after 3 months, got the right diagnosis and finally the right meds.
Now, back at his apartment in his same neighbourhood, my son is finally ‘coping’. He is an artist and has joined a group of artists fighting mental illness and through our govenments Social Sssistance program can make a basic living and will hopefully be able to work full time soon.
Now, to my point. I am a , non-conformist Christian (you gave me that title after my last comment) and I continue to spend as much time as I can with my son. Yesterday it was almost all day as I followed him around doing his daily routine.
My son lives in a ‘sketchy’ neighbourhood. Lots of addiction issues, poverty, mental illness and some ‘normies’ as he calls us. As much as his illness allows him, he is now able to socialize. What that means to him is that he can travel the bus, do his own shopping talk to people etc. And, what he loves to is respond to the need he sees around him like – to walk with people (physically) who need a hand. Either to their apt., to the bus, to the Er, to a grocery store, to a coffee shop where he buys them coffee or just sits on the curb with them waiting for … whatever or whomever. He gives people clothes, jackets, shoes if he can spare it, he carries paper and pencils and will offer to draw them a picture if he feels it might pick them up. He carries their packs, pushes their carts if they are feeble. When he sees conflict, he sends up prayers and good-will their way.
He recently went back to the coffee shop that where he caused a frightening scene last Christmas with his psychotic break. (I am frankly still too traumatized to go there) He sought out the manager whose arm he had twisted, quickley he explained that he had been very ill, not on his meds, but now was stable and he is so very sorry for his uncontrolled actions. He was in the company of a local minister who verified his stability. She spoke to her staff and they agreed said he was allowed to become a patron again.
He NEVER has anything negative to say about anyone who has ever misjudged him, shouted slurs at him or not allowed him on the bus becasue he didn’t look ‘right’. I am told he is the ‘light’ of that small art group, which is growing. The director of that community program is astounded by the powerful positive infuence he has on the group. My son has a profound belief but does not ‘preach’. He simply lets ‘the light shine’. I am humbled by his degree of love for others dispite how he has been and continues to be treated by ‘normies’. He sometimes has attacks of paranoia and will call me and we slowly come to a place of calm for him – he never complains.
Yes, he is very different than the rest of the world, wears only used clothing, has long hair and unkempt beard and usually has a smile. He remembers his illness, before the meds. It has opened his eyes, and mine, to the pain around us that EVERYONE feels. I can see now that he is ‘Jesus’ to many people. I am beyond the anger and grief of schizophrenia and am thankful every day that God gave me such a son.
Now that’s a difference that means something!
No words. Well, two – absolutely beautiful, both of you. Thank you every day, Molly.
That is a fantastic story. And I’d say a success story.
My being different actually refers to the church recently. I respect and am thankful for our armed services protecting our country but…1..I don’t believe the American flag belongs in the church sanctuary. 2. I question whether it’s appropriate to have members of the military stand and be recognized during service. Are they more Christian or better people than doctors, garbage men, teachers, etc.? I don’t think so.Makes me feel like I’m at the American Legion not God’s house. 3. I also question the need to sing patriotic songs like God Bless America; again I’m there to worship the Lord, not praise the USA.
Thanks again John for writing about this. This is my biggest struggle. I have actually posted before about looking for a church for sinners, instead of the churchs all around me that seems to be filled with saints. My own boss is one of these saints who – like your post today considers himself different and above all the “others” who don’t get it.
The Kicker: The irony that I have considered myself “different” and above him and the other “saints” is not lost on me.
Thanks for the reminder! I could read about this subject everyday and it seems that I need too! LOL
How true. Thanks for your honesty.