BE WISE AMONG...

My father and my mother came from different small cities. But since the distance of both places are not far, they have almost similar culture, tradition, and dialect. But now we live in another city, where it is more "city" than those two places. I mean it is more crowded, more traffic, more people, more business places, and more national.

When I am home, the way I live is influenced by my surrounding, the city area. But when my parents take me to their birth places, it doesn't take too much time for me to live and behave adjusting to the area. The difference which could be obviously seen is my dialect. I do still speak our national language, but I realize that I've already spoken different dialect. I also notice that compared to the way I speak at the first time we arrive at my parents cities, I feel like I can enjoy our togetherness with my new friends there. I feel like I'm so welcome.

We come from different places but it doesn't close any chance that one day we will go to another place, which is very different with ours. In the new place, we have to adjust ourselves. We can't force our culture, our tradition, our habit to the new place which might have different culture, tradition, and habit with ours. If we want to be welcome, we have to put ourselves in their situation and respect the difference between us.

This attitude should be had by all Christians. We should be able to adjust ourselves to different kinds of surroundings in order to be a blessing. If we force our own nature to other people, we will mostly get refusal. But if we show God's nature through being a friendly visitor, we will earn respect and acceptance, and it will be easier for us to tell about God to others.

Be God's people who know how to place themselves in different situations. Be those who are friendly to the rich, but also very kind to the needy. Be those who are humble among the noble, but also simple among the ordinary. Be those who are smart among the intelligent, but also knowledge-giver among the illiterate. Be God's wise people.

Dear, Father, make me into someone who lives with Your wisdom, who knows how to live among different people. I want to be a blessing wherever I go, Father, just like You and other disciples who have blessed nations. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

Col. 4:5