Acts: The Mission in Motherhood预览

Sharing Jesus

When I was in college, I joined a Bible-study group that encouraged us to walk around campus and share our testimony - our story of faith. I was honestly mortified. I’m not a very outgoing person, but more than that, I felt like I didn’t have a good testimony! I was blessed to grow up in a family of Christians, and my faith has slowly grown and matured over time, lacking a dramatic moment of conversion. Like me, have you ever wondered what exactly it is you’re supposed to say when you “share Jesus” with people, especially your kids?

The book of Acts was written to encourage Christians to live as faithful witnesses to Christ. In this series, we’re looking at different stories of those described as being “full of the Holy Spirit” and examining what it is that characterizes their witness. This is the same Spirit that is inside us as Believers today, and as we rely upon the Spirit in faith, He empowers us to be witnesses for God. In Acts 2, we see that those full of the Spirit witness for Christ by speaking about God and his works.

The apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit to speak in other tongues which, as verse 11 clarifies, means speaking in the different languages of the diverse population around them. And what is it that the apostles speak about? As the crowd proclaims in verse 11, “We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

The passage goes on to recount the apostle Peter’s speech to those listening. In summary, Peter declares the mighty works of God to be:

That Jesus died and resurrected from the dead.

That Jesus reigns as Lord.

That God forgives those who repent of their sins and gives them a new life in him.

And that God pours out His Spirit upon His people.

Just as the apostles were enabled to speak in different languages to share the mighty works of God, so we have been equipped by the Holy Spirit to share the good news of Jesus with others. To be a witness for Christ looks like sharing what He has done and how it has impacted our lives. Christ came for us. He died for our sin. And He rose again, that whoever would believe in Him might receive a relationship with God and eternal life. We don’t have to have a shocking testimony story. We don’t have to be professional apologists. We simply authentically share the “mighty works of God” in our life.

For example, the other day after his nap, my toddler William asked what I did while he was sleeping. I took the opportunity to share this with him: “You know William, I was having a hard day. I was sad because I felt like I kept messing up. But I spent some time with God and read my Bible, and I remembered how much God loves me! Because Jesus died for me, all my sins are forgiven. God loves me the same on my good days and on my bad days. And God’s love gives me joy!”

How has God made a difference in your life? With His love, His forgiveness, His hope, His protection, His comfort, how has God met you, not only in your conversion story, but even just today? We bear witness to Christ when we share these testimonies with our kids, with a coworker, or simply with a mom we’ve met at the park.

It can feel intimidating to talk about Jesus with people, even our kids. I often worry that I won’t say something right or that I’ll be misunderstood. But what I love about this passage in Acts is that it assures us the Spirit will empower us to bear witness in whatever He has called us to. The point of the apostles being given the ability to speak in tongues is not that we all receive this ability (although let’s be honest, baby-talk is a whole language of its own). The Holy Spirit equipped the disciples for what the circumstances at hand required for them, and He will equip us in what we are facing. It is God’s mission, and we can be confident that He always sees His work through.