I recently heard a law enforcement officer speak of her days in the police academy. She said that her instructor repeatedly told them that every contact leaves a trace and that there is a mutual exchange of materials when two objects come in contact. She went on to elaborate by saying that the perpetrator always leaves something behind at a crime scene. For example, he may leave a fingerprint, a shoe print, a hair, or a tire track. That perpetrator also will take something with him. For example, he may leave the scene with something he stole, dirt on his shoes, mud on his vehicle, or evidence from the crime scene, such as a weapon or a bullet shell casing.
Immediately, the Lord spoke to me and asked, “What are you leaving behind when you come in contact with someone?”
When we come in contact with people, do we leave joy and brighten their day? When we meet people who are feeling down, do we leave them feeling encouraged and that their load has been lightened? Do we show kindness when we cross paths with others? Do others feel loved by our presence?
When we come in contact with others, we also take away something. What we take away depends on the people we encounter. If we are with those who gossip and speak badly of another person, we can come away with a tainted perspective of that person. Coming in contact with those who are bitter often causes us to come away with bitterness in our hearts as well. If we spend time with people who are negative, that negativity can also affect our spirits and leave us feeling down and defeated.
On the other hand, if we come in contact with people who have a joyful spirit, we most likely will come away joyful, too. If we cross paths with those who are showing kindness, chances are that we will want to pay that kindness forward with a kind gesture of our own. Being around people who are encouraging will help lift our spirits and brighten our day. Spending time with those who show love will cause us to come away feeling loved and will encourage us to love others.
Our friends, as well as our acquaintances, matter. Proverbs 27:17 says, Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. All my life I have heard the statement, “Show me your friends, and I will show you who you are.” If we want to be joyful, we must be around those who have a joyful spirit. If we want to be kind, we must be around those who are kind. If we want to be encouraging, we must avoid those who have a negative spirit.
We must strive each day to be like Christ for the benefit of those with whom we come in contact. It is a convicting thought that our attitude or spirit can make or break other people’s spirits just by our coming in contact with them. Even more convicting than that is the fact that our contact with others could cause us to slip in our walk with Christ. Next time, before you come in contact with someone, think, “What will I leave behind, and what will I take away?”
by Teresa Corzine
