You Are His Witness

This post is written to link with Five Minute Friday: write for five minutes on a one-word prompt. The prompt today is “witness.”

“You are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard.” (Acts 22:15 NLT)

When we’re telling others about Jesus, it’s easy to worry about whether we’re getting it right. Are we saying the right things? Are we explaining it clearly? How will they respond? Will they understand?

Several years ago, as I prepared to be baptised, I wrestled with all these questions. I knew there were people close to me who disagreed with what I was doing, and whatever I chose at that point, I was in a situation where I knew I couldn’t please everyone.

Before being baptised, each person would share a short testimony, and I worried a lot about getting that right.

As I spoke with someone about this, she offered the most reassuring words: “It’s a testimony, not a defence.”

In other words, it wasn’t up to me to persuade anyone of anything and I wasn’t responsible for people’s reactions. I was doing what I believed God was calling me to do, and if they didn’t understand, they didn’t understand.

It finally gave me the freedom to speak and to leave the outcome in God’s hands. (And it went much better than I had feared.)

As Christians, we are all called to be witnesses and, over the years, as I have heard many testimonies, I have seen just how powerful they are.

Most non-Christians will not be interested in discussing theology, but most are interested in real-life stories

“John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light.” (John 1:8 NLT)

Our role is the same. It eases the pressure a lot to realise that we don’t have to have all the right words to explain everything. All we have to do is share what we have seen and experienced and point people to Jesus. The work of persuading and convicting is God’s.

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