Show And Tell

Matthew 5:16 – In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (NIV)

The other day I was talking to someone from my old hometown. This person mentioned the name of a teacher who had recently passed away. When I heard the name, I remembered only one thing about my year in that classroom: being introduced to a segment of our school day known as "Show and Tell". Each student was to locate something in their home that could be interesting to our classmates. The expectation of the teacher was that we would show it to everyone and then tell about it. As I sat there each day, I wondered what I could bring when it was my turn. Finally on the day my turn arrived, I proudly displayed — unknown to my mother — a bottle that her gallstones were stored in. She had had them removed when she had her gall bladder operation, and I thought they were pretty neat. The teacher called my mother to report what I had done, and when I arrived home my mother was there to have a little discussion with me about what was and what was not appropriate to take to school for "show and tell".

As I remembered that incident, I found myself wondering how God would react to our efforts to show others and tell others about Jesus. Would He be impressed with the choices that we have made to show and tell people about Jesus, or would He need to instruct us further in how to do it?

How do we choose to handle this task that He has empowered us to do? Do we choose just to tell those around us about Jesus? Or do we choose to take the time to show them how important Jesus is to us? I believe that not a single person has come to know Jesus without someone both telling them and then showing them what it means to have Jesus in one's life. It is in choosing to tell and then choosing to show the way we live that interests people in a relationship with Jesus.

Are there people in our lives for whom we need to do a show and tell session in the near future? Is there a passion in us to show and tell others about what we are privileged and honoured to know about God and the actions of Jesus? Have we chosen to see that God might have placed us with people that Jesus died for? Have we chosen to be the ones who care enough about them to show them and tell them about this awesome Saviour? The choice is ours to make.

Prayer: Dear God, help us to be ready every day to participate in the activity of show and tell. Guide us to people who need to know and be shown the presence of Jesus in their lives. Motivate us to choose to take the chance to tell and show them what it means to know Jesus in the ways that we do. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Forward this devotional     Share this devotional on Facebook     Like PresbyCan on Facebook