What Does It Mean to Be Contagious for God?
Have you ever considered that you're contagious? Not in a medical sense, but in a spiritual one. Every day, we carry something into every room we enter - but what exactly are we spreading?
The Power of Unexpected Encounters
Sometimes God uses the most unexpected people to teach us profound lessons. A tired pastor hoping for a quiet Uber ride instead met Maurice - a driver whose infectious joy completely transformed what could have been just another mundane trip. This encounter raised an important question: How do people experience us? Do we bring joy, hope, and faith into others' lives, or do we carry something else entirely?
Whether we realize it or not, we're all contagious. The question isn't whether we influence others, but what kind of influence we have.
When Our Focus Drifts from God
The book of Haggai tells the story of God's people returning from exile with a clear mission: rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. But when they faced political and cultural pressures, they got discouraged and stopped building what mattered to God. Instead, they focused on building their own homes and lives.
This ancient story mirrors a modern struggle. When life gets difficult, our focus often drifts from God to ourselves - from contributing to His kingdom to hoping things go well for us personally. This shift in priorities affects everything else in our lives.
What Happens When We Put Ourselves First?
The Consequences of Misplaced Priorities
When the Israelites stopped building God's temple and focused on their own projects, they experienced frustration and lack. Their crops failed, their efforts were unfruitful, and nothing seemed to work out as planned. God wasn't blessing their endeavors because they had removed Him from first place in their lives.
This principle still applies today. When we prioritize our own wants and desires above God, we often find ourselves struggling and unfulfilled, wondering why life feels so difficult.
The Promise of Restoration
But here's the beautiful part of the story: the moment the people refocused on God's priorities, He promised blessing. Even before they planted their crops or saw any results, God declared, "From this day onward, I will bless you."
This isn't about earning God's favor through good works - it's about the relational principle that when we honor God with our priorities, He responds with blessing and provision.
How Jesus Changed Everything About Being Contagious
Understanding Ritual Purity
In Old Testament times, there were strict laws about ritual purity. Clean things that touched unclean things became contaminated. People had to be careful about what they came into contact with to remain ceremonially clean and able to worship God.
Jesus Flipped the Script
But Jesus completely reversed this dynamic. Instead of the unclean contaminating the clean, Jesus - who was perfectly clean - made the unclean clean through His touch. When He ate with sinners, they found hope. When He died alongside criminals, they received heaven.
Now, as followers of Jesus, we carry this same power. We get to be contagious in the best possible way - bringing hope, love, grace, and kindness into every situation we encounter.
What Does It Mean to Build What Matters?
Putting God First in Everything
Building what matters means making God our first priority in every area of life. This includes how we spend our time, our money, and our energy. It means asking ourselves: Are we building God's kingdom or just our own comfort?
Being Trustworthy Representatives
In a world where trust in institutions has eroded, including trust in the church, we have a responsibility to be authentic representatives of Jesus. This means showing up in our daily lives - at the grocery store, in our neighborhoods, at work - as people who bring life and hope to others.
Generous Living
Generosity is spiritual formation. Jesus talked about money more than He talked about heaven and hell combined because our financial priorities reveal our heart's priorities. When we give generously, we're not just supporting good causes - we're aligning our hearts with God's heart.
God's Seal of Approval
The book of Haggai ends with God promising to make His servant "like a signet ring" - a symbol of authority and authenticity. In ancient times, a king's signet ring was pressed into wax to seal important documents, proving they came with royal authority.
As followers of Jesus, we carry God's seal. We're His authentic representatives in this world, marked by His Spirit and empowered to carry His presence wherever we go.
Life Application
This week, challenge yourself to be intentionally contagious for God. Before entering any room or situation, ask yourself: "What am I bringing into this space?" Choose to carry hope, joy, kindness, and faith rather than negativity, complaints, or self-focus.
Take an honest look at your calendar and bank statements. These two things reveal where you actually spend your time and money - your true priorities. Ask God to show you if there are areas where you need to realign your priorities to put Him first.
Consider how you can be generous this week, whether with your time, resources, or simply your presence. Remember that we're never more like Jesus than when we give of ourselves to others.
Questions for Reflection:
How do people experience me when I enter a room?
What does my calendar and spending reveal about my true priorities?
In what specific ways can I be "contagious" for God this week?
Where might God be asking me to be more generous with my time, money, or energy?
