Take Note

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.

Smell Like Jesus

My dad is such a good cook, and he cooks all the time. Sometimes he grills in our outdoor kitchen. When he comes back inside with food that makes our mouths water, he smells like smoke—simply because he has been standing outside with the grill. Going to give him a hug, I smell the smoky scent on his shirt and in his beard, and I know where he has been.

Sometimes God will put a message on my heart to share via social media. As this has happened over time and I have shared in faith, I have received a variety of responses. Some responses have been from atheists simply declaring something along the lines of, “I don’t even believe in God, but there is something about this girl that I love and that makes me smile.” Getting to read comments like this makes my heart grin so wide because these precious people may not realize it yet, but the “something” that they love is Jesus. The light that we shine as we are obedient to Christ is what makes others, including nonbelievers, take note that something is different.

I once heard a quote that said, “God isn’t asking for your ability; He is asking for your availability.” He is not limited by what you see as limits; He just simply needs you to be willing. You don’t have to look a certain way or have a certain history for God to use you. People will take note that you have been with Jesus because of your courage to love as Jesus loved. People will take note that you have been with Him because you will begin to act and smell like Him.

The Salt of the Earth

Jesus calls us “the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13), which is really exciting when you think about all of the things that salt does. Salt melts ice, adds flavor, creates thirst, and preserves. These things should be true of us. When we walk in the grace and truth of Jesus, hearts of stone will melt into hearts of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26). Because of our courage in Christ, people will experience the flavor of wholeness and freedom. When I think of flavor, I think of brightness and life, and this is what Jesus offers us. He is our abundant life. When we’ve been walking closely with Jesus, our lives will impact those around us because He will be tasted and seen in and through us (Psalm 34:8).

Others will recognize their thirst for this abundant life because they see the living water that flows from within us. Jesus gives living water, and whoever drinks from the water He gives will never go thirsty again (John 4:14). When we are the salt of the earth, those around us who do not know Jesus are made aware of their thirst which has not been satisfied yet—because they have not tasted the living water that only Jesus can offer. And finally, God will use us to preserve His beauty in the world and in the hearts of others.

Ambassadors for Christ

God has ordained every encounter you have with another person, and He has a purpose for their life. When you choose to be His vessel, this purpose can be revealed in their life because “we are . . . Christ’s ambassadors as though God were making His appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20). An ambassador is a representative, so when we are told by God that we are ambassadors of Christ, He is telling us that we have been given the powerful and important role of representing Christ here on earth. How we live, how we speak, how we love—it all is a representation of Christ in us!

By our simply having the courage to be obedient in the ordinary, people will take note that we have been with Jesus because they will encounter Jesus through their encounter with us. Just as I smell the grill on my daddy when he walks in the house, others will smell the sweet fragrance of God’s presence in our lives because of how we spend time with Him.