To Be a Witness, a Lifestyle…نموونە

To be a witness is to be a volunteer to talk about a truth

REFLECTIONS:

Read Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:5-20, and Acts 1:8 and take a moment to answer the following questions:

➤What is the most important and priority mission we have to accomplish on Earth?

➤ What prevents me from being a witness for Christ, and how can I resolve this?

These passages give us Christ’s final instructions before He returns to the heavens to sit at the right hand of the Father. These final words are of particular importance because they determine the order of the mission for the Church. We are His Church and the continuity of His ministry here on Earth, and if we are not yet in eternity, it is because God has ordained us to fulfill His mission. God hasn’t prepared a plan B; the advancement of the Kingdom rests on our shoulders. The aim is that the greatest number of people are saved and become disciples of Christ. Always remember, God hasn’t asked us to make Christians but disciples.

Being witnesses for Christ is simple, but it isn’t always easy. Not only that, the Greek word Jesus uses in Acts 1:8 for witnesses is “martures” (the majority of the New Testament was written in Greek), which has given us the English word “martyr.” God sets the scene: talking about the truth of the Gospel is not always easy, and it can cost a great price, even our lives! The Church’s history was built on the testimony of these men and women who did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death (cf. Revelation 12:11). Their life was their message, and in the same way, our life is called to be our message!

When we talk about attesting to a truth, first of all, this truth must be part of us. We attest and reveal something we live out ourselves. If our conversion to Jesus Christ is only an intellectual adhesion, our testimony will only remain an intellectual debate of ideas. We are not saved only on the intellectual or emotional plan, but in our profound and spiritual being the Bible calls our heart. There, God speaks to us and assures us that our sins are forgiven and we are his children. It is true the word “heart” can mean emotions, but biblically speaking, the heart talks about man’s spirit. If our emotions are impacted, it is affected in the same way as a musical instrument. The breath that makes it vibrate is the domain of the Spirit. Above all else, it is about a conversion of the heart, an experience where the “unknown God” becomes our God, our Father. As someone once said, it is possible to miss eternity by 30 centimeters, the distance from the heart to the head.

The true witness was present at the event they are testifying about, and through their testimony, they will share what they saw and experienced. The apostles were witnesses to Christ’s resurrection, and we are also witnesses because He is love and we have met Him. It is THE truth we attest! Yet, in Jesus’ last words we read in Mark 16, Jesus clearly says our testimony is not limited to past events. Still, we are to give proof of our testimony because when we testify, Jesus loves to attest to the truth through proof of His love and His power, that is, signs and miracles. Today, it is a promise, and we will dedicate an entire chapter to living in the miraculous.

As we have said, being a witness is simple because it is just sharing what Christ has done in our lives; to testify of His love, forgiveness, and assurance of eternal life that He has given us. Even so, this doesn’t mean it is easy. Because to do this, we need to overcome our fears, apprehensions, pride, and other barriers. However, that is exactly where the mission Jesus has given us lies, and there is no valid reason that can prevent us from obeying.

One final thing regarding the importance for every one of us to be involved in His mission - we need to be aware we are a generation away from the extinction of the Church. If we do not volunteer to attest to the truth of the message of salvation, the generation that follows us will not know Christ, and it will be the end of the Church on Earth because there will be no more people to witness. So let us take on our responsibility and volunteer to become witnesses and make disciples. Take a moment to meditate on the obstacles preventing you from witnessing and decide to reject them. Why don’t you fix an objective, for example, to share your faith with one person per day or week?

MY DECISION:

➤What I have understood for my personal life is:

➤ What I am deciding for my life based on what I have just learned is:

➤ What you decide today will determine who and what you will be tomorrow!

Adapted from “un disciple en marche” copyright 2018 by Luc Favre, published by Vie Victorieuse. All rights reserved.