WHAT YOU HAVE SEEN AND HEARD CAN BE LIFE-CHANGING TO OTHERS

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.”
(Acts 22:15)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever thought about the command
from the Lord to be His witness to all people?
We all have a finite amount of time on earth,
and we will not be His witnesses in Heaven.
Being His witness now is both a privilege and an opportunity.

When we consider what He has invested in us, it is no surprise
that He wants to see us have a positive impact on the lives of others.
Of course Satan wants us to forget the magnitude of what the Lord did for us.
If he is successful, then we will give little thought to being His witness to others.

We need to think about what being His witness means for us.
God has equipped all of us with unique qualities and talents.
He has also placed each of us in different environments.
He calls some to full-time service (pastors, missionaries, etc.),
but He also calls all to be full-time witnesses.

In Matthew, Jesus describes believers as light
and calls us to reflect Him in a sin-darkened culture.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;
nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand,
and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men
in such a way that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

Like the moon reflecting the light of the sun, we are to let the truth and
beauty of Christ shine through our conduct, conversation, and character.
In order to do this, we must put away sin because it diminishes our light.
We have heard the term “living witness” and it means exactly what it says;
our lives should be a reflection of our faith for others to see.

We cannot compromise our faith with sin and expect to be effective witnesses.
In other words, if we express our faith in church on Sundays and yet sin
reigns in our lives the rest of the time, then we will fail as His witnesses.
Being a witness for the Lord is all about attitudes, habits and commitments.

It involves diligently and purposely developing a mindset similar to the Lord’s.
May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same
attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one
mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ. (Romans 15:5-6)

ACTION:
Have you taken the time to think about whether your life
is pointing others to the Lord, or driving them away from Him?
Do your attitudes, language and emotions reflect the light of the Lord?
Being His witness is not about having a checklist of the things
we should do and not do, but rather a mindset that runs on auto-pilot.

Through the purifying of our mind, our focus and priorities change.
Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves
from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of
reverence for God. (2 Corinthians 7:1)

It doesn’t mean we stop enjoying the interaction with others, it just means
that we naturally avoid the things that jeopardize our witness for Christ.
Think about this: whenever we justify anything that might be in conflict
with what God expects of His people, the Holy Spirit is reminding us
that sin is attempting to replace righteousness in our lives.

We need to honestly determine if selfishness is a major part of our thoughts.
Do you have a positive impact on others,
or does self-centeredness control your mind, attitude and actions?
We cannot reflect Christ to others if our focus is on ourselves.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for what Jesus did for me. Remind me
of the importance of being a witness for Him to others. Help me to
purify my thoughts so that my words, actions, and attitudes will be
a better reflection of the One I have surrendered to, and agreed to
worship, follow and obey. Remind me that my obedience includes
much more than a list of things to do and not do. Teach me how to
become a better influence on others by developing a mindset more
like Jesus.”

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