Anyone who lived through the 1980s can attest to the fact that we’ll do just about anything to fit in. Not to stand out. To look like everyone else. How else can you explain a whole decade of hair that big? Believe me; I’m not pointing fingers. I’m just as guilty, and I have the high school yearbooks to prove it.  

There’s something in us that wants to fit in, and that’s what the world wants us to do too. It wants us to talk, look, and think a certain way. Satan, the father of lies, tells us we need to conform to the attitudes and values of this world.

But Jesus calls us to stand out from the world: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. . . . Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14,16).

What does this look like? Perhaps it’s guarding our tongues when we’re tempted to gossip. Perhaps it’s being a diligent worker, even if we don’t necessarily love our jobs. Or perhaps it’s just being different in how we respond to our circumstances—so when those around us notice and ask us why, we can share the hope that we have in Jesus.

Those of us who love Christ, who follow him, are called to be different. We’re the light of the world, so shine on, believer. Stand out!