Rubbing Off

One Sunday morning, I was sitting in the pew waiting for worship to start. I looked down and noticed I had something blue smeared on my hands. With a 7- and a 3-year-old, there's no telling what it was. I couldn’t figure out where it came from until I looked down at the index card next to me. That morning in Bible class, Steve had done an illustration where he placed index cards under each person’s seat. The particular index card under mine had the word “heaven” written in blue. I realized it had somehow rubbed off on me.

R.F. Delderfield, an English novelist, is attributed with saying, “Something rubs off from everything you read, observe, and tinker with.” There are several scriptures that echo this idea. One that comes to mind is 1 Corinthians 15:33: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” We have to be very careful what we fill our lives with—whether it's what we read and listen to or the people we surround ourselves with.

As I sat there that morning, though, I wasn’t thinking about what was rubbing off on me, but rather: How do I rub off on others?

In Acts 4, Peter and John are addressing the Sanhedrin, and it says the members of the council marveled at their boldness and realized they had been with Jesus. They had spent day after day with Him for around three years—and it showed. Jesus had rubbed off on them.

When we interact with people, can they tell that we’ve been with Jesus? Do our words, actions, and presence leave behind traces of Him—Or is it just another one of their daily interactions that’s no different from any other? That morning, I didn’t expect the word “heaven” would rub off on my hands. But it reminded me: something is always rubbing off on us, whether we notice it or not.

What are you rubbing off on the people around you?

-Caleb Bowen

#MaysvilleMessenger