Their lifestyle is foreign to the world. It is one that desires to always do the right thing; to pursue truth; to avoid the stain of the culture’s corruption. The attitudes they express are out of the ordinary. Their speech is clean. Their attire is simple. Humble conduct personifies them. They proclaim a message from another world given to them for this world.

Most of the time their lifestyle and message is rejected; not just from strangers and acquaintances, but from even family. It hurts, but the rejection doesn’t stop them from being who they are. They subdue the hurt with the joy of being approved and accepted by their Message-giver (Psalm 27: 10).

Even with the most vicious and ugly things said about them, they count those attacks as blessings. Sometimes they are jailed and even killed because of their way of life and message. Yet they view such persecution as being in good company on the way to a great reward (Matthew 5: 11, 12).

So they press on, amazingly gaining strength and determination through trials and tribulations that they don’t take personally (Luke 10: 16). For they have given themselves up as vessels that express the nature and power of their Message-giver (2 Corinthians 4: 6, 7).

They willingly and gladly offer themselves in this way. Though they may be cut down, in the end they trust that the Message-giver won’t allow them to stay down (Psalm 37: 24).

These strange people, of course, are Christians. How could they not come across to the world as peculiar in their thinking and actions? They are not of this world. They are of the kingdom of God.

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Happy New Year!