Ernest Smith

One of the most powerful passages in Scripture that has been captivating my heart and mind lately is Acts 4:13.  It is in this passage we read, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”

Think about that.  The people took notice that Peter and John had been with Jesus.  It wasn’t their intellect that captured the attention of the people.  It wasn’t that they were extraordinary in their appearance, demeanor or skill.

What made Peter and John stand out to everyone else was the fact that they had been with Jesus.

What a powerful truth!  To have been changed so drastically and to be living such a life that people know that you have been with Jesus; this should be the ultimate goal of every follower of Christ.

So many times, I focus on trying to impress people.  I try to impress them with my intellect (which is very difficult to do when you don’t have much).  I try to impress people with my humor.  I try to impress people with my speaking ability.  I try to impress people with my leadership.  The list can go on and on.  The truth is, I try to impress people with what I can do, rather than impress people with who I’ve been with.

Peter and John may not have been the best at a whole lot, but they focused on keeping the main thing, the main thing.  They stayed focused on making Jesus the priority in their life.  They knew that if they spent time with Jesus, that men would take notice.

My priorities need to be in line with Peter and John’s.  My desire should be to spend time with Jesus, knowing that He is what is going to impress people.  It is only Jesus shining through me that will capture the attention of others.

May I be a man that people can look at and say “He has been with Jesus.”

Do you try to impress others by what you do? 

Is your relationship with Christ at a place where others take note when you have been with Jesus?