Casandra Martin

He took the stage with a flourish. It was my son’s first time to be in character. He tried out for a one act play at school and was blessed to become a part of the cast. They memorized lines, practiced their parts, and rehearsed the play for weeks. Costumes were prepared, stage directions were given, and even make-up was applied to make the character come to life.

He did great. The play was a success, delighting an audience of parents and friends assembled to cheer them on in the school auditorium.

At the end of the play festival, my son received some direction and advice from a seasoned professional. It was neat to hear the gentlemen point out the things my son had done well and outline small steps he could take to improve his performance. The piece of advice that drew my attention was simple – commit to the character. When on stage, completely become the character. Talk like him, react like him, move like him. Don’t do anything outside of the character that you want to become.

Interesting advice. His words hold encouragement beyond teaching a student how to act in a play. Shakespeare is the one who said that “all the world’s a stage.” We live our lives before an audience. Each person we meet watches us to see if we are living in character – if we are committed to living out the character of Jesus.

Of course, we don’t put on a costume and pretend to be Jesus. Rather, we long to actually experience a transformation that changes our character to look like His. We want to show the world a reflection of Christ. We long to imitate the way He moves, talks, acts, and relates to others. In order to do that, we have to commit to living out His character in each moment of our lives.

My Jesus Resolution today is to commit my heart to being His, reflecting Christ in all I do and say. I want others to see a clear picture of Jesus in me. All the world is a stage. My neighbors, family, and friends are watching, looking for Him in my actions and words. Today, I am going to commit to His character, trusting that when I hide myself in Him, He will be in the spotlight.