Something about Witness
Truthful witness by a good person clears the air, but liars lay down a smokescreen of deceit.
A witness is one who testifies to an event that they have experienced personally. They take that event and share it with others, usually with good reason. For the Christian, witnessing is a whole other world of identification. We are out to share something that would make life a whole lot more fun, make more sense and open up a depth of heart and soul that many don’t realise they have.
We are on a mission to bring the redemption and the ultimate love of God to the world; as witnesses.
Irresponsible talk makes a real mess of things, but a reliable reporter is a healing presence.
For some followers of Jesus, it seems so natural to openly talk about Jesus, sometimes to the point that we feel like we’re hearing and seeing the epic-ness of Jesus for the first time. I can’t help wanting to be like these people and think to myself that I’m not doing something right.
But there are very different capacities of witnessing. God did not make us all the same, so why would our witness be the same. The sun cannot cool the way water can, and water cannot heat in the same way as the sun. Both a cloud and a tree provide shade from the sun but only one can stop the rain the other produces. Trees need water to survive and clouds are made of water. These are God’s own personal witnesses and all are different testaments to His existence.
I like to lift. I used to go to the gym 3-4 times a week. Now that I am a dad I only go when it is absolutely plausible, but, for a while now I have made my appearance very intentional. Most people wear clothes by Nike or Lorna Jane. I have one shirt that has “MY SAVIOUR IS TOUGHER THAN NAILS” printed over the front, with two heavy duty nails in a cross. I have a favorite that has John 3:16 on the back, full text and a big cross with N.O.T.W on it (Not of this world). This is one of the fun ways I make it clear that I’m a follower of Jesus. One of the things I do to witness.
Some might say this is passive. Some, based on a few surprised expression and head turns, would deem it aggressive. And then others would call it down right offensive. I’m still not quite sure how unconditional goodness, love and forgiveness is offensive. At least not when compared to free sex and sub-standard anecdotes that I’ve seen kids wear around the shops.
For some walkers of this faith, it doesn’t come easily to step out and witness like the greats, telling thousands about the love of Jesus. Most of us simply do not have the platform and some haven’t fully realized their form of witness yet, thinking there is only one kind. But there really isn’t a set step by step process to showing a person the love of Jesus. And sometimes God rolls right in and takes the control right out of our hands.
Here’s a little personal background: After me and my wife, Kristy, got engaged and before our wedding, we decided to take our last names and make a new family name. We chose to do this out of our joint desire of witness to the desire God had for our marriage where two became one. It was also about how He managed to bring us together, me an unbeliever and Kristy a believer. We both wanted to give something back for the gift God gave us in each other. This is how we became The Felseas.
Now, when people ask me where my last name is from I tell them. But on one random day, I got to tell my current supervisor the story, that we are Christians. As a result, we had a massive chat about God, faith and family. I got to witness to my boss and now he tells everyone that is around that I’m a Christian.
It’s cool because I’m cool with it. He (my boss) makes light of it almost every day, not in a nasty way, because I believe he already respects me because for the last year and a half I have witnessed in my actions as a person in Christ. I represented my faith as best I can, even though I didn’t open with. “Hey! I’m Heath and I’m a follower of Jesus. You need Jesus like oxygen!”
I genuinely believe that the time spent honoring Jesus’ call to be a greater version of myself, through a genuine life change, did my witness a greater justice. A lot of people at my work would outright tell me I was and am different, that they could see something different in me. God will open the eyes of those that want to see. They will see your action; I can promise this. You will stand out like a bright shiny thumb.
God will use what we have in different ways and with different people. I could claim to be a Christian by label but my actions, my every day living, working and talking could very well be the biggest witness of all. The love you give because of the love you were given may very well be the brightest light a person has ever known. One day they may even want to know why.
On the days I find other believers in Christ, I get this cool zap of energy. I feel like God is with me when I lose sight of Him. When things get heavy. The witness of a fellow Christian is refreshing like nothing else. People will see this in me, too.
Everyone needs a good loving witness.
+ There are no comments
Add yours