I have been on diets many times in my life. Sometimes it works for a minute, most often it doesn’t. Not the diet’s fault, but mine for not sticking with it. Once I lost 20 pounds, ate a Dorito and never looked back until gaining 40 more pounds. But somehow God has given me a big serving of self-discipline (it was previously one of those fruit basket gifts I had left untouched), and I have managed to let go of 40 pounds.

Before, when I had started a short-lived New Year’s diet, or a random, spur-of-the-moment weight loss plan that I only stuck with for a few minutes, no one bothered ask what I was trying, because they couldn’t tell I was trying anything. But this time, I have had several people ask what I’m doing to lose the weight, because they saw a change in me that was effective. Something was making a difference and they were looking for something that might make a difference for them.

It got me to thinking about my relationship with God. Am I letting Him change me enough that people can tell? Are people intrigued and wanting that kind of change in their own lives? Or have they not noticed a difference?

Jesus tends to make a difference if we’ll let Him.

In Acts chapter 2, the disciples had just received the Holy Spirit and immediately began sharing their faith unafraid. They shared it in chapter 2. They shared the message of Jesus in chapter 3 after healing a man who couldn’t walk. They shared His message in chapter 4 while in jail. These guys had courage. One of these guys was Peter, who you will remember denied even knowing Jesus the night before His crucifixion for fear of what would happen to him.

Something changed. Something was different, and people wanted in on it. Thousands of people were believing in Christ because of what they were seeing and hearing. And these new people were changing too. They were meeting together, they were united, they took care of each other, they selflessly gave away their stuff in case someone else needed something.

In Acts chapter 4, verse 13, even the religious leaders were unsure of how to react. But what they did know was this –

“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.”

Let’s not settle with living good enough. “I prayed enough, probably more than that person. I read my Bible enough, likely as much as this person.” I want to do better than good enough. I’ve don’t that long enough.  Let’s decide today to live our lives so in tune with and committed to Jesus, that people will take note that we have been with Him. We can live it out in our attitudes, in our kindness, in our courage. In our actions and our reactions, we can ask ourselves, “How can I let other people see Jesus through this?”

And let’s get ready to share Him.