I have a friend that I met while I was living in Tennessee. She’s a wonderful lady and one of those people that is a delight to know and be around. In browsing through photos of her on her Facebook page I noticed something though. She was always smiling but she was always in the background. I immediately thought to myself, “why does she always choose to stand behind all the others? “. My mind wondered if she was self-conscious about her personal appearance or if she was an introvert and painfully shy or was she trying to hide the few extra pounds that she thought she was carrying? Whatever the reason, it was sad in a way to see that she thought she had to hide away or blend in to the background.
Then I flashed back to my high school years. I was painfully shy and very much the introvert. I didn’t want to stand out in any way, shape or form. I remember thinking that I was somewhat like a “chameleon girl”, happy to not be seen if at all possible. Invisible at all costs. It was a sad existence indeed. Instead of wrestling with and conquering my fear of talking to people and my severe shyness, I would blend in. That’s what I noticed my friend doing in her pictures. For whatever reason, she didn’t want to have attention drawn to herself at all.
I’m thankful beyond belief that I can now say after all these years that I no longer am a slave to that fear. I talk freely to others and have no problem whatsoever approaching strangers to meet and greet them. I am no longer a “chameleon girl”!
I feel like God has called me to help people grow spiritually so that they can have the abundant life that Jesus died for them to have. And that simply means that I can’t be a chameleon blending into the background so that no one sees or hears me.
I believe that we are all called to tell our stories. Our stories are our lives that reflect the fact that we are children of God. All of our experiences are opportunities to tell of how we have grown through the hard parts. That fact alone should make us stand out in this world. It says in I John 4 that we can live without fear because of what God has done for us. God promises that he will take care of us no matter what our circumstances are or what’s going on in the world around us.
My belief is that our lives should always reflect our faith in the promise that we are cared for. When we live like that it sets us apart from the world so the very fact that you can live unafraid and trusting is a witness and testimony to the world of Him. We cannot live a Chamaeleon type of existence, blending in and living in fear, if we are to declare the glories of God in our lives. It’s most difficult to be a walking, talking, living, breathing testimony of his goodness in us if we aren’t seen.
“How do we do that””?” you ask. “Will it be uncomfortable?” you ask. Yes, perhaps a bit but sometimes God places us in situations that are “uncomfortable” so that we can stand out, stand out sort of like a red bird in a snow storm! It’s a matter of letting your light shine. If your behavior is loving, calm, happy, grateful or encouraging you will stand out! You will be that light in a dark place.
If we are a part of the body of Christ we need to be acting on his behalf at all times. He needs us to go out and shine and stand out in the darkness of this world.
So, today, step out of the shadows. In your next group photo, get in the front row. It won’t be all about you, like the enemy may try to tell you but it will be all about Him and who He is in you. Be a red bird not a chameleon!
