What causes a person to live differently?

There are lots of things that play into that. How someone was raised... the people they spend the most time with... their deepest beliefs. You can see how these factors  play out by looking at the fruit in people's lives.

Have you ever noticed what happens when someone lives in a foreign country for a while? When they come back, they'll use expressions and slang that are common in that country. They might have different habits depending on who they hung out with. If they're out there long enough, they might even pick up the accent. In the same way, the more we spend time with Jesus, the more we become like Him.

So how can people tell that you follow Jesus? It's by how you talk to the barista who's stressed by all the impatient customers. It's by how you interact with your family both at home and in public. It's by how you help pay for the single mom's groceries. It's by how you offer cold water to the construction crew working on a hot day.

How you live your life should be evidence of how Jesus has changed you. People need to see it to believe it. You see, people tend to be curious. So when they see that you're different because of Jesus, they might ask why. That gives you a golden opportunity to share the hope you have because of Him.

A great place to start is to get into the Word and speak verses over yourself. You could say, "Just like Jesus, I'm growing in wisdom, stature and favour with God and people" (Luke 2:52).

Or you can read Colossians 4:2 & 5, declaring, "I devote myself to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. I live wisely among those who aren't believers, and I make the most of every opportunity to share Jesus."

Living like Jesus did is nothing to sneeze at. But you're never alone in life. Jesus is walking with you every step of the way—He'll give the confidence you need!

We've got something to help get you started. Every month, we put together a PDF called Walk in the Word, where we give you eight declarations based on Scripture. This time around, the declarations are all about helping you live more like Jesus. Click here to download this month's collection. You could print it and put it in your Bible or on your fridge, so you see it often. Then you can begin to speak these verses out loud and meditate on them.

The more you declare these, the more you'll believe them in your heart. You'll start living differently.  Your life will become a mirror that reflects Jesus to everyone around you!

P.S. If you'd like to get these collections each month, you can sign up for our emails. At the beginning of every month, we'll send you great resources that will help you build your faith, including Walk in the Word.