I was reading through the book of Acts the other day and one of the verses kind of jumped off the page at me. I have been thinking about it a lot since and this question keeps popping up in my mind.

I was reading in Acts chapter 4.

13 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. ^NIV  Act 4:13

So here is the question, do people notice you have been with Jesus? Do they see a difference in your life because you have been in the presence of Jesus?  Is your life any different because you are a follower of Jesus? In Acts, Peter and John are in prison, the elders, teachers and family of the high priest are there. These men wanted nothing to do with the way of Jesus, but they knew Peter & John had been with Jesus. It was not their education they noticed but the passion and courage with which they followed Jesus?

What Peter and John are doing sets them apart. The rulers tell them they may no longer speak of Jesus.

19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have SEEN and HEARD.”
^NIV  Acts 4:19-20

If we have not SEEN the work of God in our life and the people we are in community with. If we have not HEARD the voice of God in our life, then is it safe to assume we have not been with Jesus? Or is it possible we have been with Jesus and did not realize it? Maybe the reason so many do not see, is because their eyes are not open? Maybe the reason we do not hear the voice of God is not because he no longer speaks, but that we no longer know how to listen.

In the midst of our busy and chaotic lives is it possible we have lost the appetite to be filled with God’s Spirit, rather than pleasure. To hunger for God’s voice the way we hunger for food; a desire to listen to God more than we speak to God. As I have begun to really focus on prayer this year, I have come to the realization I have forgotten how to be still and listen. What a tragedy to be with God and to be doing all of the talking.

In Luke 24 following the resurrection of Jesus, two of the disciples are on the road to Emmaus when they encounter the resurrected Jesus. They are actually walking with Jesus and they are doing all of the talking. They do not realize it is Him. What a tragedy to actually be with Jesus and not even know it.

All we can share with people is what we know, what we have SEEN & HEARD.  Do people notice you have been with Jesus? Do you realize you have been with Jesus?