Your Contagious…What Are People Catching from You?

All of us are contagious.  I am not talking about physical but emotional, mental, and spiritual.  A good example is our parents.  Exodus 20:5&6 make a forceful declaration, “For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandment.”  We cannot help but catch things from our parents.  The same is true about others especially those who are closest to us.  Hence, we want our kids to run around with friends that are moral and good. 

A life empowered by Jesus that is sincere, authentic, compassionate, not self-serving, genuine without hypocrisy, sacrificial, positive, and enthusiastic is contagious to others who are in darkness. When people see unconditional love lived out in front of them in the harsh, cold trenches of life, they pay attention.  Here’s what the Bible says,  “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness (cannot) overcome it” (John 1:4&5).  There is no defense in our world to genuineness of a life empowered by Jesus.  A sincere, Godly person is contagious to a world without hope.

When the Holy Spirit shines through you, here is what the world sees, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no (defense)” (Galatians 5:22).  The light of this lifestyle is indefensible to the world.

The other day, while cleaning out some drawers in our home, I came close to throwing away two Coleman flashlights.  Why?  They had not been used for so long that I thought they were worthless.  However, when I replaced the batteries, they shined brightly and pierced through the darkness of night.  With the empowerment from batteries, what was seemingly worthless became illuminating in darkness and gave me as well as others the ability to see clearly. 

Likewise, God desires to empower us and start using us.  We may have been worthless for years but like the Coleman flashlights, we can start shining the light of unconditional love to others.  No doubt about it.  You will be noticed.

You’re contagious…what are people catching from you?