“To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the Gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.”
(I Corinthians 9:22 – 23)
Paul shares in this passage how he does ministry…”I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some”. What is our way of doing ministry? All believers have been called to reach others with our witness and testimony. Many times, we leave this ministry to the pastor because “it’s his job”, or to those who have the gift of evangelism, but Jesus does not give us a way out or a pass.
ALL of US are responsible for sharing that which God has done for us. Acts 1:8 clearly states, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…”. The passage doesn’t say, “if you’re a pastor”, or “if you have the gift of evangelism”, or “if you are an extrovert”, or “if you have a great understanding and knowledge of the Bible”. He said, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…”.
I believe this is what makes us nervous about sharing our Jesus story. We are responsible. Being responsible, we look for other ways to share the Gospel through helping, cleaning, serving, working around the church, etc…. These are good, but they are NOT being a witness for Christ. A witness is one who shares what he or she has experienced through his relationship with the Lord. So, tell me, what have you experienced through your relationship with the Lord? Hopefully, you can answer that question by saying, “I repented and gave my life to the Lord at this point in my life, and this is what He is doing in my life”. If not, then you are not saved and having nothing to share.
Every believer has something to share regarding his/her relationship with the Lord. Yes, there are those difficult moments which need to be shared, but mostly, the Lord has stood beside us no matter how difficult the road might be. How many times can I count when Jesus was standing beside me when things in my life started to pile up to the sky? He was always there! There you go. You can do the same with someone else. It might not be the most polished or the most glamorous testimony, but it is yours. That’s what we don’t know…how God will use my testimony to touch the life of someone else. All we need to do is be a faithful witness. I challenge you today – Be a Faithful Witness empowered by the Holy Spirit!
Until next month,
Bro. Lyle