“I feel different – do I look different?” she asked me. She had just returned from leave following her father’s funeral. He had been sick for nearly two years and she flew back and forth regularly between four states to care for him throughout. He decided to stop fighting and asked the doctors to stop all medications six months ago. He had enough.

“I thought I would be ready for this, but I am not. My whole world, as I knew it is different…. I feel different, I am different,” she told me. She even asked me if she looked different! I asked her to talk about her relationship with her dad, but before she did, she said something which was so profound – it really spoke to my heart. “This has changed the way I will interact with people – before I speak with them, I will think – what have they experienced today? Have they had a significant, life changing experience recently that may be affecting them? I want to be sensitive to that possibility.”

As I reflected on this I realized that we, as believers in Jesus Christ, are different. Our lives have been impacted in significant ways, because we personally experience relationship with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords on a daily basis. This certainly qualifies us as people who should be different. The question is - has this experience changed us? Do we feel different? Do we look different?

Are we sensitive to the needs of others because of our interaction with Jesus? Sadly, while it should, I will confess that in my own life - it doesn’t always. I often am more interested in what I am experiencing, struggling with and feeling than thinking about how others may be feeling while I interact with them.

Yet, Jesus calls us to more. He says to us, because I have loved you, go, therefore and love others. How can we practically apply this? Where can we get it? I am reading a couple of books by Dave Harvey right now. He points to Luke 6 where Jesus talks about extending mercy and love to those who curse us. Ouch! We understand this in theological terms, but how do we apply this when that person cuts us off in the car, or cheats us out of our due in the office? Never mind figuring out how to love them! Our basic request is often – Lord – help me not to lose it and tell them off or figure out or revenge on them! But we are called to LOVE them. We are called to be different. How?

By understanding that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. His amazing mercy extends to me, to us, the worst of sinners, demonstrated by his death on the cross. And because we have experienced his tender mercies and love – we can have loving grateful hearts and are truly DIFFERENT. And it is this difference that should be winsome to those who do not know Christ. Not on a case by case basis – we should strive to adopt this as part of our heart’s attitude. Before our interaction with others, are we open and receptive, eager to really look, listen and engage with people? Are we thinking about their needs or thinking of our own pithy response to make us look good or feel good? Have we thought about their lives? Have they recently had a disagreement with a spouse? Bad news from the doctor? Heartache with a child? The possibilities are limitless and yet we are called to give grace and mercy as we have been given.

Be different this day – spend time with your dad and come away different. And then go and be different.