How is your witness?

Let us talk for a moment on the subject of witnessing. By witnessing I mean us standing as an example and a voice for the LORD Jesus Christ, and his church. According to the Word of God we are to go out into the world and compel people to come and hear the truth about salvation and the gift of eternal life. It is our jobs as followers of Jesus Christ to help bring in new followers that will one day lead the churches we now work in today. To be a witness of Christ the word says we must abide in him, and he will abide in us. We must seek all there is of God: to know the fullness of his glory and be willing to lay “self” down at the cross. Let us look for a moment on our witness, and how we represent our LORD. Is the light that people see within us, a light that mirrors that of Jesus? Do our words resemble that which Jesus would speak? The biggest of all is whether or not we actually live what we preach. If we preach love and yet show unforgiveness, than what witness do we give? If we preach to give and yet give not what do people see? If we preach against drugs and alcohol and yet we are seen each week in the local bar, do our words mean anything? What witness do we give? When God set out to teach each one us and his Holy Spirit dwelled with us, to inspire us to walk with him and trust in him: he gave an ultimate responsibility to us as well. That was to walk in a manner that truly shows our faith in what we preach. The Word of God says many are called, but few are chosen. It says that many that even call Jesus LORD will not see heaven. Why is this? The answer is: it is easy to speak something, and it is another to live it and teach it. Being a Christian is choosing a lifestyle that Christ would live, and speaking many of the same words in the same manner as he would. Can those around us say we do that? Jesus many times sat with the sinners. When was the last time we invited someone to church from outside our little social groups? When was the last time we offered, not a hand out, but a hand up? Are our churches offering spiritual resources as well as physical? Meanings are we feeding their spirit as well as their body? If not then there is a void correct. How many people do you see on the streets everyday that need God, and than ask ourselves, how many of them did I speak to? We must ask ourselves, “What do I do for the cause of Christ”, and do I do it in a manner that glorifies God? Or does my lifestyle contradict my words, and thus lowering my witness, if not loosing it entirely. We must understand that we do not simply hurt ourselves when we choose not to walk as we talk. We indeed hurt others that are watching us. God says that the people first comings to him are as children; Learning things anew and fresh as when we were first born. To lead one of these children astray is a very serious issue. Let all of us stop today and reflect on how we live and how we talk, and ask ourselves if Jesus would have done the same thing. Today is almost done, make tomorrow something new.

Richard A. Kent