Do Others See Jesus in You?

This question really gets to the bottom of our lives, doesn't it? Yes, I mean bottom. No one wants to be at the bottom of the standings of their sports division or the bottom of the list of anything. When others see anyone but Jesus in us, in our lives, we have become what I call "bottom dwellers". I think of the shellfish that eat off the bottom of the dark, murky, ocean floor and are thus garbage eaters. It should be no wonder, then, that God doesn't want us to consume these shellfish. It's kind of related to a computer term I heard a long time ago: Garbage in, Garbage Out. As we strive to live a life that reflects Jesus Christ, we do not want to sink to Satan's lure of being bottom dwellers that ingest the garbage of this world and spew it out over the people with whom we have contact. We do want, however, to get to the bottom of "things"; heavenly things. And even though we may know intellectually where and how to live like Jesus, we know that we are carnal beings. Putting anyone, anything before ourselves is a battle. Therefore, we need more than just biblical head knowledge. We need and must have a heart, a whole heart, for living like Jesus. Our motives must be pure and holy.Then and only then will others see Jesus in us. This is not meant to be an over-simplistic statement: the only source of understanding we will ever have for living a Christ-filled life is by His example and His teachings. Examine the scriptures for yourself, from Genesis to Revelation. As Cynthia stated recently, God wasn't talking only to Moses when He gave instructions and commands. He was talking to us, too! We must let scripture convict us of what our life should look like to others. For example, turn to the gospels. Follow Christ. Follow His footsteps. Become His disciple. What did Jesus do and say, and how did He instruct us through word and deed to live and treat others? Read the words in red. Read and meditate on how the words directly speak to you. Even though you may be a mature Christian, the pull of Satan still hovers around you. Why? Because he wants to keep you as far from Jesus as he possibly can. He definitely does not want others to see Jesus in you!  Pray that Satan, and the worldly influence of others and your surroundings will have little to no effect on your Christian walk. Be firm in your pursuit of a life worthy of your calling.Your life, my life, and the lives of others are usually only as complicated on a daily basis as we want them to be. Be sure every single day that your shoes are close on the heels of following Jesus. You may sometimes feel like a bottom dweller, so do I, but we can start to rise up through the strength and power of the Holy Spirit. Remember, be intentional about your prayer life and study time. Ask others to help keep you accountable. 
Finally, no one can live this life, this precious gift from God, but you. Many times you may find yourself making decisions that are not good and holy, and when that happens, others do not see or hear Jesus in you. Who they see and what they hear, however, is someone just like everyone else in this world. There is no demarcation. Instead of spewing forth the garbage of Satan's dark world,let others see in you the Messiah, Jesus Christ. And they are certain to see Him in you if what you have ingested is clean, and pure, and holy.