Hiding In Plain Sight

My children and I just finished watching the movie "Transformers". Great movie!! Despite all the action and adventure, explosions, and transforming robots called Decepticons and Autobots, it was one of the last quotes from the film, that seems to be sticking with me. The quote was from Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. He said, they were aliens on earth, living among the humans while, "Hiding among them in plain sight." Heroic as the Autobots were, they recognized they were aliens on the Earth, and they had to hide (disguised as cars) to avoid scaring humans who did not understand them, or being hurt or worse by others.

My recent efforts to focus my mind on being a man of God, got me to thinking about that last line, "Hiding among them in plain sight." The Autobots, although fiction, are not the only aliens living on earth. In 1 Peter 2:11, the Apostle Peter, calls his fellow Christians, "aliens and strangers in the world." In Romans 12:2, the Apostle Paul tells us, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Not only are Christians "aliens" to the world we live in, we are to "transform" ourselves into the likeness of God, (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Unlike the Autobots, who have to hide themselves in a strange world, God calls us to let our Spiritual Lights shine! He does not tell us to hide, but to live lives worthy of notice. We want others to see that we are different from them. God wants the world to see Himself in us, and we cannot do that hiding under a bush, as the old children's song says. Unfortunately many Christians live among our fellow humans as Christians and the world does not know who we are. They are "hiding in plain sight" of the people that God has called them to save. Many Christians are afraid of how the world will react to them, if they tell them the truth about Jesus, or if we do not conform to the way the world wants us to live. Thus, they hide their weak faiths and disguise themselves to avoid being noticed. It makes me sad.

No longer will I hide myself from the world! I will transform my mind and my spirit into the likeness of God! I will not be ashamed of being a Christian and I will let my light shine to a lost world. Will you too become a Transformer of souls or will you continue to hide in plain sight?