It rubs off on you

This morning I poured a cup of coffee and sat down on the sofa to read my Bible. Kitty came over and snuggled next to me. When kitty (yeah, that's his name) rubs against my pant's leg or sits on my lap he often leaves behind some cat hair and maybe some cat smell. In the summer I need to be extra careful because I may go to work covered in cat hair (not cool at all).

Whoever you hang out with will "rub off" on you. It could be a cat or a friend or even Jesus.

In Acts 4:13 Peter and John are arrested for healing a man who was crippled since birth. Imagine that! They do something good and pure, a miracle, and they get arrested for it. Life is like that. It was undeniably a miracle, so the Jewish leaders let them go (this time). Notice what v.13 says,

"The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus."

They recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.

If I spend time with Jesus, he will rub off on me. People notice when we spend time with Jesus and when we don't.  In the life of Peter and John the Jewish leaders saw boldness, a deep understanding of scripture, power and confidence.  They saw Jesus.

We all know people who started following Jesus and served him and others with a humble and grateful heart. Then they stopped attending small group and church and began to hang out with people who have ugly demanding attitudes, people who think the world OWES them something. The once kind and gentle person turns into a __________ (fill in the blank). Their friends rubbed off on them, and now they stink with bad attitudes and negative thinking. I usually don't hear about it until their "stinkin thinkin" has cost them their job.

Lord, I want to be like you. Help me to hang out with you, to spend time with you so that your character and goodness will become imbedded into my life and character. Thank you for the positive and good people you've put in my life. Protect me from becoming a negative unhappy person. Make me like you Lord, conform me to your image. Amen