Witnessing
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
Mark 16:15
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect
1 Peter 3:15
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 1:8
I read a story shared on Facebook the other day about Jake Fromm, the University of Georgia junior who as quarterback, led his team to a victory last week over Baylor in the Sugar Bowl. In an interview done by ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, Fromm shared with her that the source of his optimism was “The Holy Spirit in me. I’m trying to live out the most godly life I can do. I’m trying to influence others and hope they can see Christ in me.” When asked if he had a goal for the new year, he replied, “Influence others, lead people to Jesus… and hopefully shed the light in their eyes.”
The Twitter bio of Carson Wentz, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, reads “Follower of Christ, husband, QB for the Philadelphia Eagles, Outdoorsman, … and includes a reference to his foundation Audience of One”, and seeks to praise God in all things—a tweet from him after a November loss to the Cowboys says, “Praise Him in victory & defeat, the hills and the valleys, the good and the bad” with a praying hands emoji.
The waitress at the Texas Roadhouse restaurant my husband and I went to the other day wrote the typical “thank you with a smiley face” on our check, but it was what was written at the bottom that stopped me in my tracks. She wrote “Isaiah 41:10”, and smiled when she gave us the check. Some of my most favorite verses are from Isaiah, but in my haste, I couldn’t recall exactly what this one was. So I looked it up on my bible app on my phone, and found it easily, as I had highlighted it a while back as it had spoken to my heart so comfortingly: “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
These three people are examples of the millions of people out there who are sharing their faith seemingly without hesitancy or fear. Carson Wentz may cast a wider net, as he has 1.1 million followers on Twitter and interactions with countless others through his foundation and job, thereby giving his witness a broader impact, but my little Texas Roadhouse sister-in-Christ may have a similar but deeper impact on a more personal level with the people she meets.
I have grappled mightily with the concept of witnessing on my own faith walk. I have friends who have no problems going up to strangers and talking to them about Jesus. And there are two specific friends who are not the extraverted gregarious kind who will talk to anyone and everyone about anything. But they are godly women who are sensitive to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and obedient to God’s will.
I know I need to be more like them.
It has been my prayer for a while that the Holy Spirit change me so that my witness is more identifiable and more evident to those I meet. I want people to know that I am a believer, not for my own sake, but for His sake. I want to be the hands and feet of Jesus to this broken world, and to be used for His service. I want to operate in the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given me, for the building up of the body of Christ. I know I do some of these things, but I feel like I should do more. I don’t think that it’s guilt, comparison of others’ actions (maybe?), or the enemy telling me I’m not doing enough so therefore I will be laughed out of the throne room or bema seat of Christ (depending on your thoughts on the great white throne judgment and when believers will be judged). No, I am being convicted to decrease the worldly human-y things that I think, say, and do, thereby increasing the ability for others to see Christ in me. And if people see Christ in me—if my spiritual walk is my witness—then perhaps seeds will be scattered throughout that walk. I can wrap back around and water those seeds, or taking the analogy even further, I can water the seeds that others have planted.
The question that has been rattling around in my brain in mental preparation and prayer for this devotional has been: if I didn’t wear a cross necklace all the time, would people know to Whom I belong? Sometimes I can say with a fair degree of certainty, “yea verily, they would”, and other times I can abashedly admit that the answer is a resounding “no”.
Would you join me in prayer for me that there be more “yea verily” answers and fewer resounding no responses? I shall do the same for you, my friend.
Prayer Requests
· For the equipping of discernment, obedience, and trust in Him throughout the various changes we will definitely experience
· For the abatement of violence in this broken world
· For those involved and impacted in the escalating US-Iran conflict
· For our pastors and leadership
It’s a challenging time right now, friends, especially with tensions rising in the Middle East. Regardless of what happens, God is in control—nothing surprises Him. Let’s share more of Jesus during these times. The world could use a large dose of grace and mercy, as well as the ability to see Him in His people.
Quotes
“Be an Esther, bold and courageous enough to stand for the truth, to voice your opinion and fight for the good of others, even when it means to sacrifice yourself. If God has put you in a position, it is for a purpose. Never be afraid to heed that inner voice.”
“Modern religion focuses on filling churches with people. The true gospel emphasizes filling people with God.”