MAY 2, 2 Corinthians 3:3

Darren’s father slammed on the brakes when a van sped by and then cut in front of him. “That van almost got my front fender!” Dad exclaimed. “I’ve been watching him in the mirror - he’s been darting in and out of traffic like a maniac.”

“He’s driving a truck from a plumbing company,” said Darren as the van sped away from them. “Look! On the back it says, ‘Call us for fast, courteous service.’” Darren laughed and gathered his books, which had fallen when Dad applied the brakes suddenly. “If that plumbing company runs their business the way that guy drives, their service may be fast, but the people are probably not very polite!”

At the dinner table that evening, Darren told the rest of the family about the van he and Dad had seen on the way home. “I think the way the driver drives gives people a bad impression of their company,” concluded Darren. “People who see him on the road won’t want him to work on their plumbing.”

“I guess not!” Mom agreed. “He probably doesn’t even realise that his driving is a bad advertisement for the business.” She shook her head. “In the same way, I think all of us sometimes forget that we reflect Jesus everywhere we go,” she added. “We reflect Him in our actions and the words we say.”

Dad nodded. “We’re Christians, and people are watching us. When people know that we are Christians, our behaviour gives them an impression of who Christ is. If we are kind and Christ-like, they develop a good impression of Christ. If we are unkind and inconsiderate, they may get a bad impression of Christ.”

A little later, Mom asked, “How was your test today, Darren?” Darren frowned. “It was tough but what’s worse is that some students had a plan to cheat and it sounded like everyone joined in to cheat except for Mike and me. So we will probably get the lowest scores in the whole class,” he complained.

“Really!” exclaimed Mom. “Well, this time we’ll be proud of you even if your grade is low. It’s more important to live by your Christian convictions than to get good grades.”

“That’s right,” Dad said.

Thought: Do your words and actions reflect Christ well?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me be a good testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.