Philippians 1:27a  Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

Have you ever thought about the fact that so much of our lives we are representing someone or something?  At work we represent our employer.  If we give good service or do quality work it reflects positively upon our employer.  The Zenith company had the slogan, “The quality goes in before the name goes on.”

If we need repair work done on our car we typically ask around to find a shop that does quality work at a fair price.  Positive and negative reputations spread.  I just got a new modem/router and my research uncovered comments about how difficult it was to deal with some companies’ technical help people who were described as impatient and rude.

Recently we were at Publix grocery store and the young man who bagged our groceries proceeded to take them to our car without asking if we needed him to.  He was cheerful, and being the parents of four sons, we were blessed by his attitude.  When we got in the car, I mentioned it to Donna and she said Publix was known for that!

What do the waiters and waitresses think on Sunday when they are serving Christians after church?  If they had to rank the desirability of the various groups they wait on, would Christians be at the top?  If not, why not?  In Colorado Springs we were part of a Friday night service involving an 800+ diverse group of college students & 20-somethings.
This very topic was addressed a couple years ago because word had gotten back regarding the less than attractive behavior of the attendees when they descended on local establishments after the service.  Unfortunately, they were fitting in with a general negative perception of Christians that these workers held.  The good news is that repentance can result in changed perceptions in those we interact with.

Think of our relationships with family, friends and neighbors.  We have so many opportunities to demonstrate the quality of life that comes from loving Jesus.  Even if people don’t associate kind and thoughtful behavior with the gospel, that is what they should experience when they interact with us.  It is our privilege and responsibility to
live lives worthy of our faith.