What do our lives say?

Since I constantly make horrendous mistakes when I try to converse in Spanish, I have always been a fan of truths that get "lost in translation". I guess it makes me feel better to see other's lack of multi-lingual proficiency. Some time ago I came across as list printed in The Los Angeles Times. It's a sampling of signs from around the world that attempted to communicate in English.

• In a hotel elevator in Paris: “Please leave your values at the front desk.”
• In a hotel in Zurich: “Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for this purpose.”
• On the door of a Moscow inn: “If this is your first visit to Russia, you are welcome to it.”
• In a Soviet newspaper: “There will be a Moscow exhibition of arts by 15,000 Soviet Republic painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two years.
• In a Bucharest hotel lobby: “The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable.”

Many times we struggle with correctly communicating who Jesus is to the world. The goal is to say the right words and then back them up with a lived out an example, but when it comes down to it, all that we say and do is worthless if it is not inspired by God’s spirit. If this is the case, and I am sure that it is, maybe we need to worry a little less about what we say and how we say it, and a lot more about seeking out what God's Spirit is up to in the world around us. I’m not saying that we need to be careless in our words and lives, but that we need to apply our efforts in areas where people are already seeking. Peter spoke the truth clearly, but the people were “cut to the heart” because the Spirit was applying the truth to their lives. Maybe our prayer should be, “Lord direct me to the places where you are at work in the hearts of men and women. And as always, give me the courage to speak and live in such a way that what I do and say can help people to see Jesus clearly.” That’s a courageous prayer. But those are the best kind.