The photo appears on a brochure from Musikhaus, W Heuer. The photo actually needs no description. One can see the concentration and intensity of the boy playing the piano. Behind him is his music teacher, clearly disheartened because he doesn’t believe what he’s hearing. We say that the body language of the two tells what they are experiencing. Body language is a language that everyone understands, regardless of the language you speak. For example, if you are very happy or very sad, everyone can see it; you don’t need to say it.
Jesus said that in our actions, everyone should be able to see and know that we belong to Jesus, our Saviour: “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavours of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colours in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up to God, this generous Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:13 – 16 The Message).
Salt prevents food from going bad. Simply through the presence of Christians, they should counteract the evil in the community. Salt usually gives food a pleasant taste. We should behave in a way that makes it pleasant for people to interact with us: friendly, slow to anger, forgiving, etc. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). When Jesus commands us to be the light of the world, He commands nothing else than that we should strive to become like Him.
A Christian woman who accepted a new job decided that the people at work should first see that she is a Christian before she talks about it. Her integrity was beyond reproach, they could trust her, she only spoke well of others, she faithfully did her work, was friendly to everyone, treated everyone with respect, etc. When people at work asked her why she was different, she began to talk about her faith, and people believed her. She didn’t just say one thing and do another.
A young man who had to perform military service heard that it can be tough for a Christian there. When he had finished his service, his pastor asked him how it went. His answer was: “No, very well, pastor, fortunately, they didn’t even notice that I’m a Christian.”
Have many of us not yet been in situations where our body language was such that people couldn’t notice that we are Christians? Situations where we should have been salt and light for the world. Not to our glory, but so that the name of our heavenly Father may be properly glorified.
Sien hierdie oordenking in Afrikaans op video:
