Witness to Your Faith
But the Holy Spirit will come on you and give you power. You will be my witnesses. You will tell people everywhere about me… Acts 1:8 (ERV)
What a wonderful experience it was to stand in front of my new church family Sunday morning and share about witnessing. When I hear the word evangelism, I begin to stutter, no coherent thoughts are formed and I have an internal meltdown. However, I can use my spiritual gifts to witness. So, with note cards in hand, I took my place and began responding to three questions Pastor Liz had asked me to address.
· What does it mean to witness to your faith?
· What change did you notice in yourself or others around you when you shared your faith?
· How is God using your whole life to witness to others about the goodness of God?
I won’t be writing out everything that I said because that would be the longest devotion I’ve ever written but I will share a few main points.
To me, witnessing means sharing to the level of your faith. It is important to be honest. If you are a young Christian and still trying to figure things out—that’s what you share. Pretending to have all your ducks in a row is not reality. Your little ducks will never be perfectly lined up and it isn’t wise to try to pull the wool over God’s eyes. Tell people what your life used to be like and what God has done for you up to the present. Everyone has a story to tell.
When I gave my heart to Jesus, life changed for a short period of time. However, as I became an adult, my lifestyle did not show that I was a Christian. In fact, the only job I was ever fired from was that of a missionary. I was not prepared. Humbled and humiliated, I came home. But that started me on a path to deepen my faith.
Today, I am not a soapbox Christian! With adults, my hands get sweaty and my mouth gets dry. So, I have found my own style of witnessing. I write devotions. When I sit down at my computer, there is no fear only great joy as I share the love of Jesus Christ.
It’s the same joy I feel when working with four-and-five-year-olds. Telling Bible stories, singing songs and helping them develop Christian traits and values is just a part of me. If you came into the classroom, you’d most likely hear me asking some child, “Would that behavior make Jesus smile?”
From a former dark life to witnessing in my own special ways, I am blessed and pray I bless others.
Heavenly Father, thank You for all You have done in my life to bring me to this moment. Please give me strength to continue because I don’t think I’m done yet. AMEN.