What’s Your Sign?

By Christina Puntigam 

While preparing for a mission trip to Africa, my group leader told me that the Christians will be recognizable by their clothing. He said that people wear who they are on their clothes. It kind of confused me, because my thoughts were that everyone was running around with those cleaver shirts that you see in the Christian bookstores. When I finally arrived in Africa, I understood what he meant.  The natives have material printed with scripture and images on them and then make their normal clothing from that material. I found out while I was there that each church orders a special fabric to represent their Easter and Christmas season and then they continue to wear their outfits throughout the year. The fabric was beautiful, something that I would have worn myself, even as an understated mid-westerner.

It all came back to me while I was reading the book of John. In the 3rd chapter, Jesus talks about the truth being a sign and a seal.  In the days of Jesus, it was common for the head of the household to have a seal that he would wear on his finger.  When conducting business, this seal would be a signature.  The scripture made me wonder how it is that I use God’s truth as a seal.  I thought back to Africa and the clothes that they wear to show God’s truth as their seal.  I remembered all the jewelry that has been given to me to mark special occasions, marriage, graduation, and completion of ministry.  I began to search for what my seal looked like now.

As I surfed the internet one day, I saw a picture of a hand with writing on it.  It is a habit of mine that I have not used in years, but it struck a chord in me.  I realized that I could write God’s truth on me in order to be reminded and to have His truth be the mark of my day.  I started writing verses on my arm, just one a day and they became more alive than ever.  My husband even started to ask what the verse of the day was.  

That seal was a season. It was something that helped me draw closer to Jesus. I looked like a fool sometimes, because really, who writes on themselves?  But it taught me that God desires to write His Word upon my heart.  He wants it to be a living, breathing part of me.  I can’t survive a single day without His Word running through my veins.  

As I think back to Africa, I remember that you will know Christians simply by looking at them. And now I know that if God’s Word is written on the tablet of my heart, then the fact that I am a Christian will be visible as well. {mos_fb_discuss:30}