Do You Shock People?

A thought came to me the other day. I was thinking about what happens to people when they discover I'm a minister, because I'm young and look more like a youth than a youth pastor, people are sometimes shocked. As I thought about this I realized that I'm fine with people being shocked that I'm a minister. Personally I want to shock them and show them that ministers, like everyone else, shouldn't be held to a mold to live up to. I agree that ministers live at a higher standard, but should all Christians? 1 Peter 2:9 says that we are a royal priesthood. So really we are all ministers in one way or another; living our lives in a way that draws people to Christ.

You see I don't care if people are shocked that I'm a minister, but what worries me is what happens when people are shocked that I'm a Christian? This is what scares me. I go through my life and when people see me all they see is a "good" person, not someone who is on fire for Christ and wants people to know Him. I have to confess, lately I've just strived to be a "good" person. And I've come to a conclusion about Christians that are just "good" people....this life sucks. There is no true fulfillment in life for a Christian that just wants to be Mr./Mrs. Goody-Toe-Shoes. People will know that they can count on you and trust you, but that's it.

It's time that we make a decision to shock people! Not when they find out that we are Christians but that we live our lives so sold out for Christ that it messes people up. That when they see us showing Christ's love and letting them know that's what we are doing that it radically changes their views on life and their destiny. I want to shock the crap out of people when they see me (attempt) to live a life in complete obedience to Christ and that everything I do will draw people to him.

The question is, "Do you shock people?" The answer to this question is determined by your life and the choices you make. Are you shocking people as you pursue Christ or by claiming to know Christ but living as if He never existed?