Before we meet someone new or go on a first date, have a new job interview or go out in public, we may hear the common mantra, “Leave a good impression.” This is sound advice that if followed will seldom lead to disappointment. The person you just met may become your new best friend. That guy or girl you like may want to get coffee with you again. The potential employer you just talked to may call you back to tell you that you have been hired. In the same way that we leave good impressions so people will remember us, Christians should leave a good impression of Jesus for others. How we act and present ourselves can have an impact on the lives of others.

In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, the disciple John tells us about John the Baptist who was preaching about the coming of Jesus. A verse from that chapter stuck out to me. It reads, “John [the Baptist] himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light” (John 1:8). What does the disciple John mean by “the light”? For those who are Christians, this may be self-explanatory. For those who may not know, “the light” is referring to Jesus the Messiah.

Why is it important that the disciple John specifically states that John the Baptist was not “the light”? It is important because John the Baptist was acting and speaking in a way that was making people start to ask that question. Was John the Baptist the Messiah? Was he the prophet Elijah or some other prophet? John the Baptist was getting so much attention the Jewish leaders at the time decided to send priests and Temple assistants to speak with him to figure out who he was (John 1:19).

The people that John the Baptist was preaching to noticed something different about him. He was not “the light” himself, but the words he was speaking and the actions he was taking brought forth a message that was of “the light.” The message was that Jesus was coming and that He was going to be the Messiah and that He will be the Savior of the world.

“The light,” God and Jesus, was speaking through John the Baptist. In the same way "the light" spoke through John the Baptist, “the light” can speak through us when we accept Jesus as our Savior. When we accept Jesus as our Savior He gives us the Holy Spirit. A miraculous transformation occurs and the old self is gone and a new self has been created. Part of “the light,” the Holy Spirit, part of the Holy Trinity, is now inside of us. We house this "light” in our spirits and it is our job to let that light shine so people may see that we are changed and God can be glorified (Matthew 5:16). How can we show this change? It can be showed when we exemplify the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

This ties right back to the impressions we give to others. Can people tell we are Christians when we talk to them or hang out with them? Can they tell we are Christians by our actions and how they see us treat others? If they cannot tell we are Christians and notice we are not living a Christ-centered life, what kind of impression does that leave of Jesus and our faith? Not a very good one if we are being honest.

There are numerous Christian songs out there that talk about “the light,” letting our “light” shine for others, and simply showing the world that we have been changed by God’s mercy and grace. Just a few songs I would like to mention are Shine by Newsboys, The Light In Meby Brandon Heath, Let There Be Lightby Bellarive, Shakeby MercyMe, Where the Light Is by Dan Bremnes, and Glow by The Digital Age. However, one of my favorites is Live Like That by Sidewalk Prophets.

Some lyrics from Live Like That say, “People pass, and even if they don’t know my name, is there evidence that I’ve been changed, when they see me, do they see You?” Every time I hear this part of the song it makes me think about my own life. It makes me think about my day and what choices I have made throughout. Where did I go today? Who did I talk to? What did I say or do? Did I handle a situation in the way that God would want me to handle it? Did anyone see me make that decision? What were they thinking of me when I said/did that? Did my life glorify God today?

The goal of being a Christ-follower is to be a messenger of “the light” on earth. We are meant to be noticed. We are meant to turn heads. This does not mean we always have to be provocative or controversial when doing so. This is not about us and what we get out of it. “The light” should shine through us to give us an opportunity to win more souls over to Jesus. Being “the light” will allow God to give us opportunities to share the Gospel with others who notice that we are different. May we “shine, make ‘em wonder what [we’ve] got, [and] make ‘em wish they were not on the outside looking bored” (Newsboys).