by Annagail Lynes
The other day, I opened the door to find two religious people standing there. As I hurried out the door to the car to run some errands, they insisted on knowing when I’d be back. They thought they were doing me a favor by trying to shove their religion down my throat, but I was more interested in their behavior. Would they act like Jesus?
Jesus told His disciples in Mark 6:11 “And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them.“
Are you witnessing to others, or is your life a living witness? Some people go from door-to-door, forcing their beliefs on others. Others pass out fliers and invite people to church. Still others live their lives according to the principles of the Bible, thus being a living witness. Is one way more right than the others? Let’s see what the Bible has to say.
Matthew 5:13-14 says “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”
When Jesus refers to us as the salt of the earth and as the light of the world, He was telling us that the people around us watch our lives–what we say, how we act and read.
If we act like Jesus, people will be drawn to us, but if we don’t, if we curse, drink and jump from bed to bed, they will run away from us.
If we walk into a dark room and turn on a light, the light lights up the whole room. The same applies to our witness. As we show our light–the light of Jesus Christ–in dark places, such as your school or work place, maybe even your family, can illuminate the whole place.
How Do You Be A Living Witness?
Philippians 4:9 instructs us “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do.“
Although Paul wrote this, Philippians 4:9 should also apply to Jesus. We should model the behavior we read about Jesus during His ministry on the Earth. Would He steal? Would He lie? Would He pollute His body with drugs? No on all accounts. By reading the Bible, especially the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, we can intimate His behavior.
You can start to do this by doing the following steps:
Renewing Your Mind.
II Corinthians 5:17 tells us “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.“
Romans 12:2 further commands us “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Romans 8:6 warns us “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”
To renew your mind, you need to repent of every negative words, action and thoughts. Don’t list every thought, action or word. Instead you might say, “Lord, I repent of every negative word that has come out of my mouth, every negative thought that’s crossed my mind and every negative action or deed I’ve done.”
Then rebuke them. For example, you might say “I rebuke negative word I’ve ever said, every negative thought I’ve conceived and every negative deed or action I’ve done. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”
Once you’ve taken the thoughts captive by taken the above steps, as I Corinthians 10:3-5 charges us to, you have to replace the thoughts with the Word of God.
In the area that you are struggling in, you need to go to the Word and find out what God says about it. If you are having health problems, look up healing Scriptures. For finances, look up financial Scriptures and so forth.
Write down five of those Scriptures on index cards and quote them out loud every day until thinking that way becomes second nature.
Continue to do this in every area of your life.
Watch Your Mouth.
James 3:3 reveals that a man who is perfect in his speech can control his whole body. Every morning, you should pray for God to set a watch over your mouth and keep the door of your lips (Psalm 14:13) and for His help in controlling your mouth.
Read and memorize James 3 every day. Get it deep into your heart.
Find New Friends.
Hang around other Christians who not only talk the talk but also walk the walk. People who do what the Bible says will help you to grow up in Christ more. You need to be friends with other Christians and to go to a church that teaches Bible principles. This way you will be taught what you need to know to be an effective witness.
If you want to win people to Christ, you need to work on your character.
Are you truthful? Do you keep your promises? Do you gossip behind people’s backs? Be careful what you do and say because other people are watching you, even when you think no one is around. To truly be like Christ, you should try to act like Him whether people are watching or not.
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