When others are around you, what do you want them to see? What do you want them to notice about you? Do you want them to see that you conform to everyone else or do you want them to see you as something different? Do you strive to have a personality that is full of joy, even when you’re not having the best day? From the outside, do you want people to see kindness and generosity that can only come from God? Do you want them to see a passionate heart and a loving character that comes from Jesus? People may say, “that person is different” or maybe even “I want to be like them." Why? They have something about them, something with them, something all around them. That “something" is Jesus.

When something comes your way, and you feel overwhelmed that you can’t face it by yourself, who do you run to? Others should notice that prayer is a huge part of your life. When a challenge comes face to face with us, our God is right behind us bigger than any situation. Are you constantly striving to encourage prayer in other people’s lives? Maybe you can impact someone to start praying and change their life around. We all fall time and time again, and we all have put our hope in something other than God. Our money, our relationships, our comforts, our friends. But we realize that we aren’t even putting our hope in the one who gave us everything we have and everything we put our hope in. Many times I have forgotten how powerful prayer is. It’s something I continue to learn every single day. We need to remember the one to look up to. Others will see that our joy comes from the Lord.

Standing out from the crowd can be a terrifying thing. If I'm different, who will like me? However, if we all strive to put God above anything, we may be different, but different together. Standing out doesn’t mean to block others from your life. It simply means to show them why you are different. Why you won’t let others influence you. God has called us by name to joyfully share the gospel through love and kindness. If you are a person that is always positive and kind, others will see that. They might even want to know how. Jesus is the only way to joy. Let others see that in you.

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2