Devotions
A Different People - A Different Lifestyle
Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, … – Esther 3:8 (NIV)
The Story that
Reveals the Difference
Some years ago, a friend of ours told
us the story that follows. He had a blood pressure history. One day, he had a
crisis in the middle of the night. At 2 am, he felt that he could no longer
hold until the morning; he checked into the ER of a nearby hospital. The doctor
who received him asked him if he owned a fuel tank truck. Puzzled, the guy
answered him: no, I only have a VW Sedan!
The doctor explained his question,
saying: usually, except for accident victims, the only people I receive at such
hours are businessmen who are dead worried about their trucks worthy of
millions that they are unable to track, or those who have lost control of their
businesses in one way or another. The patient said, “I am a simple guy, I own
nothing to be worried about. Even if I had anything, I am a Christian, and
everything I have is in God’s hands. I have nothing to be dead worried either
way.”
That simple answer reveals the heart
of this reflection: the people of God are called to live differently because
their security rests in God, not in what they own, control, or can predict.
Everyone who is called by the name of the Lord ought to follow this principle:
there should be a difference between believers and non-believers. The customs
believers follow, the laws that guide them, and the lifestyle they lead all
have to be different.
Faith Builds on What
is Unseen
Worries, insecurities, and control
drive the world. When those under its influence are not in control, they lose
ground and are shaken. Things crumble around them. What is even sadder is that
they think it is a normal reaction to be troubled, depressed, or worried when
things are not in their grasp. This is because they build their lives around
what they can see, perceive, or predict. For believers, however, things have to
be different because believers build on what is unseen (2 Corinthians 5:7). For
the one who builds his life on the book of the law, he stands on an unshakable
rock; he is successful in all that he does (Joshua 1:8). The flood, fire, and
earthquake will come, but they will leave him still standing (Matthew 7:24-27).
A People Set Apart
The verse above was spoken by an evil
man, Haman, as he laid his plan to destroy God’s people. Despite his crooked
ways, his words are true: the people who call themselves the people of God are
different, their customs are different, and their lifestyle is different. They
are not intimidated by anything; they only fear God. They are confident that
their God will protect them (Daniel 3:16-17) and provide for all their needs
(Philippians 4:19).
When Balaam was called to curse them,
he proclaimed, “There! A people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among
nations” (Numbers 23:9b, NKJV). We were not a people, but God made us a
people who have received mercy, as the Bible says in 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV): “But
you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special
people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light.” These are people whose peace, joy, confidence,
and boldness depend not on what is outside – possessions, family, health, or
any other external circumstance – but on what is inside: the King of light who
resides in their hearts. Such a life is the true life to the fullest Jesus
talked about in John 10:10.
Living Life to the Fullest
Someone asked me why I named my blog
“my life to the fullest” and not simply “life to the fullest.” It is because I
write about my life, my own experiences, and my struggle to reach that life to
the fullest mentioned in John 10:10. I aim to live that life daily, not only
talk about it. I strive and press on to lay hold of that for which He has
called me (Philippians 3:12).
Every Christian is called to that life: to be part of the special people set apart for God. I believe that living life to the fullest is within reach of everyone willing enough to pursue it. Every day, I am challenged to be different and live differently because I can, by the grace of God. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are not left to imitate the fears of the world; we are free to live as a different people with a different lifestyle.
Posted : Oct 19, 2026