As I descended the stairs after getting dressed this morning, it occurred to me that every item of my clothing was either black or grey, which is very unusual because I enjoy wearing colour. Today’s attire wasn’t a deliberate choice but rather a coincidence; however, it has had a strange effect on how I feel, as though I am missing something – a dimension being absent from who I am. A little later, I noticed that there is actually a small spot of colour, in the form of a discreet yellow logo on my polo shirt that only became momentarily visible from behind the grey jacket I am wearing.
A Metaphor
It seems to me that this matter of colour is a spiritual metaphor. For most of us, the world we live in celebrates colour. Gone is the sobriety of times past, reserve has long been abandoned, and one might wonder whether the word dignity still appears in the dictionary. The term ‘colourful’ is often used to infer wayward and morally deviant behaviour – the brighter, more gaudy or flamboyant, the further from godliness. Seen in this context, being monochromatic might appear as a good thing. But I am certainly not advocating this; as I said, I enjoy wearing colour. Let’s apply the metaphor in the opposite direction, where colour is indicative of spiritual life in a spiritually black and grey world. As Christians, we are called to stand out, obviously not by what we wear, though. We are called to be noticeably different because that is what we are, or at least what God has redeemed us to be, as Paul encourages us: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2a).
Demonstration
Given that we are different to those in the world, and that we don’t show this through the colours that we wear, what are people going to notice in us that is different? The answer isn’t anything to do with religiousness, but rather character – honesty, integrity and the fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22,23. Hopefully, we will reflect these qualities in increasing measure as we grow ever closer in our obedience to Him whom we serve with our whole lives. But we are also called to bear witness to our faith in more explicit ways. Just as the logo on my polo shirt is obscured by the jacket I am wearing, so we might hide the brand that we seek to exemplify, being reticent even to make known our allegiance to our saviour, Jesus. Obviously, we need to be wise in how we do this, but we should, surely, be quite deliberate witnesses to him in some way – remaining silent and hidden isn’t a legitimate option, is it?
Daylight
As Christians, we are not a shade different to other people, we are a different colour palette entirely. In the spiritual sense, the world is black and grey, without a hint of pigmentation – it is spiritually stone dead. Those who know Jesus as saviour and lord, on the other hand, are in communion with God himself through our interaction with the Holy Spirit – we are spiritually alive (Romans 8:10,11). We are called to live no longer in the darkness of night, but in the bright light of the day, as Paul highlights in 1 Thessalonians 5:5: “You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness”. But we are to be witnesses in the darkness; to shine brightly (Matthew 5:16), and to reveal our true colours to those around us, both by the outworking of our faith and through our conscious witness to the grace of God in salvation. Some are reticent to put their heads above the parapet for fear of a negative reaction, but if we fail to do so, we will be keeping the message of the gospel to ourselves – good news that our friends, neighbours and colleagues are in desperate need of hearing. God calls us to shine brightly both in character and emboldened witness; not in subdued tones but vibrant spiritual hues.
Power
The Spirit of God, who works in and through us, is in the discipling business, working quietly in the background to encourage us in our walk of faith. But he is also the source of power for us to witness to this world about another that is unseen, except, perhaps, through what we demonstrate. Let’s ask God to help us to be everything that he has called us to be, but also to have the courage and spiritual clarity to step out of the shadows and boldly bear testimony to his grace.