I’ve always refrained from putting bumper stickers about my faith on my car. It’s not that I’m ashamed of Jesus. It’s just that I’m not always so sure about my driving. And I’m pretty sure that as soon as my driving doesn’t match up to the character of the One I claim to represent, someone will notice.

Whether we like it or not, people are watching us — especially if they know we follow Jesus. It’s really quite amazing. Before my wife Jerusha and I ever moved into the neighborhood where we now live, all the neighbors knew that we worked for a religious charity. We had never even met any of them, yet amazingly our reputation as Jesus-followers arrived before we did.

That reality should motivate us, not scare us. The unspoken witness of our lives to a watching world can sometimes open doors in ways that a more frontal approach cannot. This was certainly the case with Rick, whose story is told here.

I wonder if a watching world was not what Jesus had in mind when He said to His followers: “You are the light of the world… Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14, 16, NASB). Long before the world is sometimes ready to hear, they’re eager to watch. Jesus knew that. So He told us to give them something worth watching — a lifestyle that reflects well on our Father in heaven.

Do that well, and you might just discover that they become more interested in hearing too.