Today is Opposite Day.

Think of the possibilities! You run downstairs in the morning and greet your family, “Good night! I can’t wait to go to school. Can we have some yummy Brussels sprouts for dinner? I’m going to do all my homework as soon as I get home. No TV for me tonight!” Then as soon as you pick up your mom and dad off the floor, you can gleefully announce, “Happy Opposite Day!”

The idea behind Opposite Day—where everything you say is the reverse of what you mean—is meant to be fun. But Jesus was totally serious about his followers being the exact opposite of what the world expects. For example, in his teaching that we often call the Beatitudes, Jesus said that God blesses the needy, those who mourn, who are persecuted, and who are gentle and lowly (Matthew 5:3-12). That’s not what the world thinks. Our world says that people who are happy, who have a lot of stuff, who are powerful, and who are protected are the ones who are blessed.

Jesus wanted his followers to know that living for God means being different from everyone else. If we follow Jesus, then what we say and how we act will be different from the world. We will give to others instead of taking from them, help those who don’t deserve our help, and love those who hate us. That’s not easy to do. But in giving up our rights in order to serve others, we will receive everything that God has in store for us.

Compared to the world, every day is Opposite Day when you live for Jesus.

“And so it is, that many who are first now will be last then; and those who are last now will be first then” (Matthew 20:16).

To Do

Instead of being the first in line or the first to grab dessert, do the opposite today and be last!

Also on this day . . .

1858—Mendelssohn’s Wedding March was publicly played for the first time at the wedding of Britain’s Princess Victoria.

1924—The first Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France.

1961—President John F. Kennedy presented the first live presidential news conference from Washington, D.C.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.