Something's Different

by Dr. Paul Chappell
"That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."
Ephesians 4:22-24
Being called different because you follow Christ should be a compliment!
The U.S. standard railroad gauge (distance between rails) is four feet, eight-and-one-half inches. Why such an odd number? Because that's the way they built them in England, and American railroads were built by British expatriates.
Why did the English adopt that particular gauge? Because the people who built the pre-railroad tramways used that gauge. They, in turn, were locked into that gauge because the people who built tramways used the same standards and tools they had used for building wagons, which were set on a gauge of four feet, eight-and-one-half inches.
Why were wagons built to that scale? Because with any other size, the wheels did not match the old wheel ruts on the roads. So who built these old rutted roads? The first long-distance highways in Europe were built by Imperial Rome for the benefit of their legions. The roads have been in use ever since. The ruts were first made by Roman war chariots. Four feet, eight-and-one-half inches was the width a chariot needed to be to accommodate the rear ends of two war horses.
There has been no difference in the size of railroad tracks since they were first built. While some people may have tried to change the size, the tracks remain the same-there is no difference between them now and then.
As a Christian, being different than the normal mold is not bad. In fact, it's good! God has called us out of the normal mold of this world and into the mold of His own design. When Christ chose His disciples to follow Him during His earthly ministry, He called them out from their current lifestyle and destined them to be part of something greater.
The same is true with us as God's children. When God saved you, He called you out of this world's pattern of sin and destined you to be part of His plan. You no longer live to walk in step with the world, but to walk God's road to eternal blessings!
Are you different from the unsaved people in the world? If someone were to examine your life, would they see a difference? Being different is not bad, no matter what the world may think. Living a separated, holy life is a good thing, and God commands it. Determine to be different than the unsaved man. Live differently. Act differently. Think differently. Center your life on Christ today and live for Him, not the world.