What do you see when you look at this picture? Do you notice the lush green foliage in the background or do your eyes lock on the dead leaves? Anything else?

At first, I thought I was looking at some dead leaves that looked like a lizard, but on closer examination, I realized what I was looking at was a lizard, a Gecko to be specific, looking like dead leaves.

Geckos, like many other animals, use camouflage to blend in with their environment as a defense mechanism against predators. By blending in with their surroundings, they can easily be overlooked.

Many of us like to blend in with our surroundings, like the Gecko, so as to go unnoticed. We don’t want to do anything to make ourselves stand out or draw attention to ourselves. However, the Lord has called us to do otherwise. He has called us to be in the world but not of the world, and in doing so, we will stand out [John 17:14]. In fact, we’re called to stand out boldly.

 

Matthew 5:13 says,

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.”

Salt is used to enhance the flavor of food, making it taste better than it would on it’s own. Like salt, we are called to bring out the best in the world we find ourselves in as well as those we encounter. If we simply blend in, then we’ve failed to do what we were created to do. 

Matthew 5:14-16 says,

You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Our purpose in standing out isn’t to draw attention to ourselves; it is to draw attention and glory to the Father.

While it may be a bit uncomfortable at times to stand out, recognizing that we are to stand out for His purposes and not our own helps. What are some ways you  stand out that bring glory to God instead of yourself?