Who will be Jesus to them today?

As I was driving home this evening from a quick trip to Walmart that ended a very long day, I heard a caller on K-LOVE say "Who will be Jesus to them today?" To be honest, I didn't hear what they were previously talking about or why she called in.  She shared a simple story of how she made a passing comment to a stranger which turned into a conversation.  It turns out this stranger was new in her town, had moved there 3 months ago, and had met no one.  The new acquaintance was so grateful for a possible new friend.  The caller went on to say how we never know how what we say or do will affect someone and ended the call by saying "Who will be Jesus to them today?"

I've not been able to get this phrase out of my mind. I realized after hearing this that I didn't even make eye contact with anyone during my shopping trip.  I am certain I didn't show Jesus to my children most of the day.  I was short with my husband. I am guilty, as many of us are, of writing this day off as "just one of those days."  But what if there was someone who needed to see Jesus today and I simply wasn't in the mood.  How selfish of me!

So, how do I be Jesus to those around me?  What does that even mean?  I started searching some scriptures and came to many that share who Jesus is, but this passage in Philippians 2 really sticks out to me in answering my questions.  I love how The Message paraphrases verses 14-16,

Do everything readily and cheerfully�no bickering, no second-guessing
allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in
this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of
good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into
the night so I'll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that
Christ returns. You'll be living proof that I didn't go to all this
work for nothing.

For those of us who are familiar with this verse know it as the "do everything without complaining" passage.  Yes, I was guilty of complaining today, but I think there is more to these words.  If we truly did everything cheerfully, without complaint, uncorrupted, we wouldn't allow our witness to be ruined by "bad days."  We would be "breath of fresh air" and "provide people with a glimpse of the living God."

It's hard for me to imagine that Jesus walked in this world for 33 years without ever allowing His circumstances compromise who He was.  Yet, I truly believe He didn't.  We know Jesus got mad, we know He needed time alone, and we KNOW He had bad things happen.  But we also know He never stopped loving people. I have to stop letting my circumstances of the moment control who I am.  Because who I am in Christ doesn't change.  I simply allow my witness to be hidden and even hurt at times. 

So, who am I?  I am a follower of Christ.  I am child of God. I am a friend of Jesus. I am a daughter and a princess.  I am free. I am loved.  I am called to be an imitator of Christ.  How many people do I come into contact on a regular basis have no idea they can be these things too?

I CAN show a glimpse of Jesus by simply remembering who I am and remembering who He is.