What Does Your Sign Say? #396

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What Does Your Sign Say? #396

The other day, as I was driving through town, I found myself counting the number of business signs. I lost count almost immediately. Then I tried to remember the names of one or two local businesses that weren't national chains like McDonald's or Walmart. That's when a simple thought or question came to my mind. If every business has a sign telling us something about who they are, then what does my sign say and how am I wearing it?

Then I thought about how business signs and the “signs” we wear relate. If you think about it, we all wear signs like "Welcome" or "Glad to see you." We also wear signs written in red that quietly say, "Keep your distance," or "Proceed with caution." Truth is, we wear multiple signs depending on our moods. Our attitude, words, reactions, and the way we treat people are constantly telling others something about who we are, like a sign does about the business.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:16, "You will recognize them by their fruits." Because our lives are revealing something about us, whether we call it fruit or a sign, people are reading it/us every day.

Our sign doesn't disappear when we leave, though. It remains in the minds of the people we've just been with. Every conversation leaves an impression, every meeting leaves a memory, and every interaction creates a wake after we've left. People may forget our words, but they’ll always remember how we made them feel. The question I've been asking myself this week is, “What do people remember about our last interaction? Essentially, what did my sign say?

The harsh reality is the people who read our signs the most are the people we love the most. Our spouse, our children, our grandchildren, and the people closest to us see the real sign every day. They could be saying to themselves, "Why do you give your best sign to coworkers, neighbors, and even complete strangers, yet the people who matter most receive a different version or a different sign?” To take it a step farther, ask your family to describe the sign you wear at home, and does it match the one everyone else sees?

You can’t be afraid to change signs because you’ve done it before. The moment you placed your faith in Jesus Christ, He gave you a new identity or a new sign. So the old signs of anger, selfishness, pride, or fear can be gone. Just like an old business that’s closed, Christ has put up a brand-new sign for you. A sign that points others toward Him because of your hope, His forgiveness, and love. That’s one worth wearing proudly.

This idea is not new; all throughout Scripture, people repeatedly asked God for a sign. If I'm being honest, I've done the same thing more than once. There have been times when I've wanted God to make His direction obvious or to give me some unmistakable confirmation. But maybe I have it backward. Instead of asking God for a sign, maybe God is asking me/us to become His sign for someone else.

Lastly, people often say your legacy is what you leave behind, and I believe that's true. But I also believe your legacy is the sign you wear every day through your thoughts, words, actions, and the way you treat others. So before you ask God for another sign, take a look at the one you're wearing. Someone is reading it today. What does your sign say?

If you're ready to wear a new sign and live your legacy, visit lighthouselegacies.com to learn how. Also, check out the Living Your Legacy Podcast.