What others think
Comments: 0 - Date: January 30th, 2006 - Categories: Grace and the lack thereof
Does it matter what others think about us? I mean does it really matter. I won’t put a fish on the back of my car. This is my own little hang-up, but I’ve had it for a long time. For twenty years or so, it has been vogue in the Christian community for believers to put a little fish on the back of their car to let the world know that they are Christians. Some folks even put little bitty fishes for their children.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a fish on your car. But my apprehension was always that I’d be driving along – someone would do something silly – and I’d honk my horn at them (basically, display a lack of self-control) thereby giving them all the reason to say to themselves: Did you see that dude lay on his horn at me? That wasn’t very kind (the implication is that wasn’t very Christ-like). Or maybe, I’d be speeding down the road or just generally not driving respectfully (i.e. cutting folks off, etc.) and that would give them cause to say: Look at that guy with the fish on his car just driving like a maniac. To put it in a sentence, I was convinced that the fish would label me a Christian and that I couldn’t live up to the expectations of the world when it comes to that label.
But who really can?
John Piper makes really good points on this subject saying:
“…[we must realize] that our aim in life is that ‘Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death’ (Philippians 1:20). In other words, with Paul we do care – really care – about what others think of Christ. Their salvation hangs on what they think of Christ. And our lives are to display His truth and beauty. So we must care what others think of us as representatives of Christ. Love demands it.
But we ought not to care much of what others think of us for our own sake. Our concern is ultimately for Christ’s reputation, not ours.” — John Piper, Life as a Vapor, p. 15
So, I ask that God would help me to understand this truth even further. And that I won’t try to blend in with the crowd by not putting the fish on my car. But that I would seek to honor Christ in how I act in the car.
Now, should I go and get that fish?
