Daily Archive

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT)

When a witness takes the stand in a court of law they really have only one job to do. Restate the facts of the case as they saw it. They aren’t asked for opinions. They aren’t asked to guess what the person was thinking or why they did what they did. They are only asked for what they saw.

When Jesus left earth to ascend into the presence of his Heavenly Father he left us with one charge; to be his witnesses. Witnesses aren’t flippantly chosen. They hold, in their hands, the success for or against the person being charged. You most likely wouldn’t want someone who seeks your demise to take the stand in your favor. You want someone who will stand up for you, who will refute any false accusations leveled against you.

That’s what Jesus wants from us. We aren’t asked to take a stand for our church or our denominational affiliation. We aren’t asked to look at others around us and determine if their actions are noble or not. We are only asked to tell what Jesus has done for us. I don’t need to explain or defend God and his ways. I only need to tell what Jesus has done for me.

Every day we come in contact with people who are beaten up, frustrated, scared, worried or wounded. They don’t need to hear how they need to change. They know that. They don’t need to hear how much they are hurting themselves. They know that too. What people really need to hear is about Jesus and what he has done in your life.

When he left us with the challenge to be his witnesses he didn’t leave us without power. The early disciples were told to ‘wait for God’s power to come on them’ before they began to testify of Christ. In the same way we need to be certain that as we take the stand to testify for Christ we are empowered by his Spirit.

You have everything you need to make a difference in the lives of people around you. Your family needs to know what Jesus has done for you on a daily basis. You don’t need to be a Biblical Scholar to tell others the truth of what God has done in your life. You don’t need to be a pastor or a missionary to share the love of Jesus. You don’t need a sermon outline or a list of Bible verses. All you need is to be willing and open to God’s leading. Be a witness. Tell your story. Jesus brought you to the place you are in so others could hear what he means to you.

PRAYER: Father God, I am so thankful for what you have done in my life. Thank you for grace. Thank you for mercy. Thank you for forgiving my sins. I’m so unworthy of your love. Help me to be a witness for you to those I come in contact with whether that means a smile, a kind word or the opportunity to share verbally what you mean to me. In Jesus name, Amen.