If you knew God had ordained a mission for you to accomplish, wouldn’t your heart start beating faster. You would know that your life counted for something far greater than the mundane pursuits that consume most people. The truth is he has ordained such a mission.
Witness for Christ
Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.” (Acts 1:8) Jesus called us to be his witness. What is a witness?
A witness is simply a person who gives testimony to a fact. He or she testifies to something they know is true by personal experience.
Jesus comes into our lives, saving us from our sin, granting us a grace that gives us a peace that lasts forever, and filling us with his Spirit. We experience the Lord in a life changing way. How wonderful a gift we have received from God!
But God doesn’t want us to keep that to ourselves. He wants us to share this with others so that they too can have a powerful experience with Christ. God wants us to be witnesses to others of the marvelous grace he has granted to us, so that they too can taste and see that the Lord is good.
Many people get nervous about sharing their faith with others. Often we can be afraid we might be rejected or thought of as religious nut. But despite this God still calls us to be his witnesses in the networks of relationships in which he has placed us.
And why is that? Simple. God loves the people around us. Sure he loves you and has extended his grace to you, but as he extended grace to you, he was thinking of more than just you. He was extending grace to you for you, but also for all those whom through you would also hear of the Lord’s Good News.
God has placed you around people who need to know of the hope found in Jesus. Don’t you see? God has provided you in their lives to tell them of that hope. Your calling is significant. Very significant!
So what does a believer need to do to be a witness? Here are a few things…
- Live for Jesus with a passion. Let your relationship with Jesus touch every part of your life. Love God and let his love for you bring you joy and inspire love in your heart for others.
- Care about the souls of those around you. Pray for the people around you who may be far from a personal and soul saving relationship with Christ. Develop a heart filled concern for their eternal destiny. But not just that. Care about the everyday issues people face. Just care about people.
- Know the Gospel. Get clear on the Good News of Jesus. Get comfortable explaining what Jesus did for us on the cross and how we are called to respond in repentance and faith. Read about the gospel in scripture, good Christian literature, and rejoice in the gospel as you listen to gospel centered preaching. A good grasp of the gospel will make it natural to share this divine good news with others.
- Tell your testimony. Tell others the story of how God has changed your life. Explain how you came to know Christ as Savior and how that changed you. Sometimes your testimony will be about how you were converted to the Lord. Other times it might be about how God brought you through a challenging time or helps you gain healthy perspective on your life. Your testimony is powerful because it is your story. People love stories. We learn about people by learning their stories.
- Invite people to join you at church. This can be so powerful. When you bring someone to church you are inviting them into an entire congregation full of people who have been and are being transformed by Jesus. You are doing more than merely exposing them to the Pastor’s sermon. You are inviting them to see Jesus at work among the people of God. Often that is more powerful than any sermon the minister will preach.
So God does have a mission for you. It is significant. You are to be his witness in your little part of the world.
So who around you can you start witnessing to today? Reach out to them.
Question: What are some ways you have sought to be a witness to others? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
