Ephesians 4:17-19
17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.
Think Different. In 1997 Apple CEO Steve Jobs, fresh from his return to the helm of leading Apple, ordered the creation of a campaign that reflected his business philosophy to help this company that was struggling. His desire was to go back to the philosophical roots of the company he co-founded, rather than continue on the pace the company took after he left. Think Different.
In his reasoning for the Think Different campaign, Steve Jobs said:
When you grow up you tend to get told the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family life, have fun, save a little money.
That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact, and that is – everything around you that you call life, was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.
The minute that you understand that you can poke life and actually something will, you know if you push in, something will pop out the other side, that you can change it, you can mold it. That’s maybe the most important thing. It’s to shake off this erroneous notion that life is there and you’re just gonna live in it, versus embrace it, change it, improve it, make your mark upon it.
I think that’s very important and however you learn that, once you learn it, you’ll want to change life and make it better, cause it’s kind of messed up, in a lot of ways. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.
Steve Jobs capitalized on calling people to think different about their purpose in life. The Think Different campaign marked the re-emergence of Apple as a pioneer of innovation and powerhouse of marketing that would lead to the iMac and Mac OSX, revolutionizing the technological world.
In Paul’s letters, he has a habit of never giving a “to-do” list for Christians without given a “been-done” list by Christ. There are so many “Therefores” in the second half of Ephesians, and they usually come on the cusp of what Christ has done. For example, we have been called in Christ (Ephesians 1:18) so THEREFORE we are to walk in a manner worthy of the calling. We have been made alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:10) so now we are to walk in holiness and righteousness (Ephesians 4:17-5:17)
In these verses immediately after Paul’s message on unity and diversity in the body, he tells the Ephesian church to think different. Think different than unsaved people. Note the emphasis on thinking: mind (Eph. 4:17, 23), understanding (Eph. 4:18), ignorance (Eph. 4:18), “learned Christ” (Eph. 4:20). Because repentance means a change of mind resulting in a change of direction, it doesn’t seem too off base that Paul is constantly telling them to think different and as a result live different.
Salvation should cause people to think different about their lives. Because of Christ, I have a new purpose, a new way of thinking, a new life, a new outlook, a new worldview, a new heart. Jesus Christ makes old things new and dead things alive. The unsaved mind is depraved, seeking after lusts of the flesh. The saved mind is renewed, seeking after Jesus, to know Him, to walk in His ways, to know Christ and to make Him known, to die to self daily, to have the mind of Christ, to no longer live for yourself but for Him.
Who do you live for? Yourself? Your significant other? Your children? Christ? What motivates you? Success? Power? Popularity? The American Dream? Christ being glorified? People meeting Jesus? What are your goals? Better job? Better house? To become more like Christ?
I close with this poem and pray that each of us could say it meaningfully:
Fellowship of the Unashamed
I am a part of the fellowship of the Unashamed.
I have the Holy Spirit Power.
The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made.
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.
I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.
I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.
I now live by presence, learn by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.
My pace is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won’t give up, back up, let up, or shut up until I’ve preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up, and stayed up for the cause of Christ.
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.
I must go until He returns, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He comes.
And when He comes to get His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.
My colors will be clear for “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”
My banner will be clear.
I am a disciple of Christ!