In life, there are people who impact us. Sometimes directly. Sometimes indirectly. Sometimes intentionally. Sometimes unintentionally. That is just how life is. This “fact of life” is even more true, even essential, in our Christian life and walk. My friend Todd was one of those people in my life.
Todd and I weren’t best friends or anything like that. My older brother invited me to church when I was sixteen. That’s where I met Todd, at church. But we were both Juniors in High School and went to the same school. Todd, and he may not even know it, changed my life.
Todd, as I said, wasn’t my closest friend, but I could see immediately that he was different from the people I knew. There was something about him. You kind of expect people to be nice to you at church, don’t you? Unfortunately, that isn’t always true, but it is what we come to expect. But Todd was more than just nice at church. When I would see him at school, he was the same guy. He was always happy to see me. Friendly, but not in any fake sort of way. He really seemed to like me, even when he didn’t really know me.
I came to understand that this “difference” that Todd displayed was because he was a Christian. Not in name only. His life reflected Jesus. His life was permeated with joy. It took me some time to understand it, but this “joy” is what I wanted in my life. It wasn’t that his life was perfect. In fact, it was anything but perfect.
I remember going to Todd’s house for a youth group gathering. His house was nothing special, much like the one I lived in. Not upscale. Average, in fact. It had one advantage that made it especially suited for gathering teenagers, though: A pool. So, we splashed and had a good time while Todd’s mother watched from the living room. Furniture had been moved from the living room to make room for her hospital bed. She had multiple sclerosis. A degenerative disease that would eventually take her life.
Yet, there was joy. Todd and his whole family had something special. Their lives were different. The book of Philippians describes it as “peace.” Paul writes, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:4-7).
That’s what Todd had! And his whole family as well. They “rejoiced in the Lord”. They rejoiced at “all times.” Their “gentleness was evident to all.” While they obviously had difficulty, they laid it before God and He gave them His peace, which transcends all understanding.” That’s what I wanted in my life.
So why do I tell you this story? Of course, I’m grateful to Todd and his family for the impact they had on me. But this story is more than just reminiscing. It’s an example to me and, I hope to you as well, that when we follow Jesus, our lives should be different. That difference, the way that we live and talk, should be obvious to everyone around us.
Jesus says “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Mat 5:14-16). We have to look at ourselves. We need to look hard and ask, “Is my light shining?” Do people know who we are? Do they see it in what we do and what we say?
Paul the Apostle said something that always makes me uncomfortable. He wrote, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). Can I say that? Of course, we’ll make mistakes, we’ll fall short. But overall, the day-to-day posture of our lives should be different from the world. When people look at us, they should see Jesus. They should say, “Whatever that guy has, I want.”
Todd modeled for me what it was to be a Christian when I was just a teenager. There is no age limit. Old and young can model Jesus for others. Now, I imagine that most of my readers are not students. So, for those of you who know a young person, encourage them they can make a difference. At the same time, don’t forget that you, I, can make a difference. Each of us can make a difference.
People watch. When they look, they’re looking to see if Jesus has made a difference in our lives. They’re looking to see if we have something they want. That something is Jesus.
Written by David Foucar
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Christian Grandfather Magazine
Featured Image by Dylan Michaud on Unsplash
