"Acting Normal" is an Oxymoron

I've enjoyed reading and studying 1 John for the past 6 weeks, but I'm left wondering how to apply what I've learned.

This morning, my son and I had an early trip to Dunkin' Donuts for some breakfast. On the way out, we chatted with a kid who grew up in western New York and asked about our license plates. Then we went to Stop & Shop and ran a couple of errands. Again, on the way out, we stuck up a chat with an employee.

How do these casual, passing interactions relate to eternity?

My first response is to say, "Who cares? Not everything needs to be about your faith." But then I reread this letter, and the last verse stood out to me: "Dear children, keep yourselves from idols" (NIV).

The key is not to be obnoxious, or even to talk about God with everyone I meet. But "fitting in" and "acting normal" (even this phrase is an oxymoron) cannot take precedence over being obedient to Christ. Sometimes I make these things idols.

So don't worry. If you bump into me, I won't beat you with a Bible. But I pray that I'll be obedient to the Lord if he prompts me to share a tidbit of faith.