"Then Jesus came to [the disciples] and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.'"
Matthew 28:18-20The account of Jesus' ascension in Acts 1 adds some more insight:
"[Jesus] said to [the disciples]: 'It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power then the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'"
Acts 1:7-8We are called to be Christ's witnesses, making disciples "of all nations." For some Christians, that means going to faraway countries to preach the Gospel. For others, that means witnessing for Jesus in our neighborhoods, workplaces and towns. Jesus told the disciples they would be witnesses in Jerusalem--the city they were in at the time--and in Judea--the country where they were.
Being Christ's witnesses doesn't necessarily mean going to Africa or China or Russia to be a missionary.
It means sharing our faith in our daily lives, everywhere we go.
No believer has an excuse for NOT being a witness.
And no believer has to despair that they don't have the time, money or resources to become a missionary to a foreign country.
We are witnesses in the places and vocations in which God has placed us.
For me, that means I am a witness at home (yes, to my husband, even though he is a believer!), at school, at work, in my little town, and to my friends, acquaintances and others who read what I put on the internet every day.
(Have you ever thought of that? Your Facebook posts, tweets, and blog posts are all part of your Christian witness! How are you sharing the love of Christ through your online presence?)
These passages in Matthew and Acts are always a wake-up call for me. It's a conviction: I need to be aware of how I'm witnessing Christ, and be intentional about it! And it's also an encouragement: I have been given the incredible privilege of representing the God of the universe, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to every person I see each day.
How incredible is that?
My encouragement, to myself and to you, today is this:
Look for ways God has given you to witness him.
Be intentional at least once today about speaking the Gospel and the name of Jesus to someone you normally wouldn't.
Remember--God will give you the words to say, because His Holy Spirit is in your heart.
Linking up with these lovely ladies:
The Houtz House Party; New Life Steward; A Wise Woman Builds Her Home; Deep Roots at Home; Women Living Well
We are on the same wavelength. My most recent post is on how to practically and actively disciple to people. It is a part of Christianity that is struggling right now because of the fear of where to start and what to do. Loved this post!
ReplyDeleteMarissa @ forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com
You are so right, yet, WHY WHY WHY is it so hard to share the Gospel? I struggle so much with the courage to do this.
ReplyDeleteHow do you do it?
Becky, it doesn't come easy to me, either! I wish sharing the Gospel came naturally, but it doesn't (at least not yet).
DeleteI try to say things during a conversation--with a coworker, the cashier at the grocery store, etc--like, "Thank God for this amazing weather," or "God is awesome like that" (when something comes up unexpectedly on sale :) ). Things like that. It's not much, but at least it lets people know I'm a Christian. Or at least a believer in God. I wish I could more easily bring Jesus into a conversation. It's easier when I'm having a longer conversation with someone I know a little better--a relative or classmate, for example.
THEN, once people know I'm a Christian, I have to watch my actions carefully so that I ACT like a Christian! This is why I never (or at least very, very rarely!) use bad language. My acquaintances and friends know that Joshua and I didn't live together before we were married and we were virgin when we got married. I do my best to live a life "above reproach," so that when people look at me, they see a life transformed by Jesus Christ.
I'm not perfect by any means, of course...thank God for his forgiveness!
The biggest piece of advice I can give you, or anyone else, is pray about it. My confirmation verse, Joshua 1:9, says "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL BE WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO."
That's the bottom line. The words won't come from you. The opportunities won't happen because of you. God will give you the right words at the right time to say to the right people. Just keep asking him to help you be open to his leading and guidance. And he'll do it. Trust me--God wants you to share the good news of his salvation. :) He'll give you--and me, and all other believers--ample opportunity to do so, as long as your willing.
One other note: you won't always know it when you're witnessing your faith. And you definitely won't always know if it did anything. But God does, and that's what counts.
I admit, I get scared. It's out of my comfort zone. Yet I have His power in me. As you said, we have no excuse!
ReplyDeleteIt's not in my comfort zone, either. :) I trust in Christ's promises to give me the right words at the right time! :)
DeleteThis is SUCH A great post girl!!! I am so convicted as of late about my mission at home. I never ever thought about my mission field being at home before. And it is SO important!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kelly! :) I know--it really is the most important place God has put us to share his love, both to our husband and family AND to people we reach via phone, letter, email, and internet on a daily basis. :) So many opportunities!
DeleteGreat addition to call attention to the influence we have through our online presence. So many read what we put on FB and Twitter. It's an incredible opportunity even to just put some encouragement into someone's day rather than another ranty status update.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking up!
Thanks, Mary Beth! I am so convicted with that myself...how do I use even social media to be uplifting, encouraging, and glorifying to God?
DeleteSeeing myself as a missionary, regardless of where I was or what I was going, used to make my head tilt and eyes cross. But with much prayer and being intentional, you are right, God will give you the words!! Great post!!! Great reminder!!!
ReplyDeleteYes!! And thank you! :)
DeleteThis is something I struggle with. I have been trying to work on being more influential in what I say and what I write.
ReplyDeleteI love that I am a 'missionary'. Thank you for reminding me of this.
I'm glad I could be encouraging! Thank you for stopping by and commenting. :)
DeleteThanks for linking up with us today. I'm your newest fan! You are inspiring for sure. I find it fairly hard to activity witness to others but I do try to make sure my actions show my true Christian self! Great post today.
ReplyDeleteKally, thank you so, SO much!! :) I know...actively witnessing is definitely the hard part. I just try to do everything to God's glory, and ask his forgiveness when that doesn't work!
DeleteI really enjoyed your post on being a witness. I just started a blog last week to share Christ with others and I was browsing to see other Christian ladies blogs. So glad I found this one! I agree that we NEED to use every opportunity and avenue God gives us to share the Gospel. Before God radically revived my heart over 3 years ago I put pretty shallow superficial posts on Facebook. Now I long to give Christ honor and glory in every way through Facebook and blogging :) If you ever have an opportunity, my blog is www.Hispowerinme.blogspot.com. may the Lord richly bless you. I look forward to reading more.
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