Question 6: How can I be a better witness for Christ?

This is a very valid question. It is incredibly important to be a good witness of Christ. In fact this task is second only to worshipping God. We were called not only to worship God but advance the gospel until all have heard it and had the chance to decide for themselves. Therefore, it is incredibly important that our witness be as good as it can be.

One of the best things you can do to help your witness is to live your faith both personally and publicly. In 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8 it says:

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. For not only had you the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia an Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere so that we need not say anything.

This verse is explaining the power of a personal witness. Paul was writing to the church in Thessalonica to let them know that because of the way they lived our lives that they have become well know without the region and that they have done so well at spreading the good news that Paul doesn't even need to come to the region to spread the word himself. This is how powerful a personal witness can be. A good start would be to set aside time everyday for devotions. This creates a time when you can be with God alone without the distractions. This is also a good time to get to know your creator on a personal level. After all God did write the Bible with the hands of men. What better way to get to know someone than to read things that they wrote. Prayer is also a good way to enhance your witness. I'm not asking you to go out in the streets and pray in the middle of the road or be boastful about what you are doing. Rather I'm suggesting that praying publicly is not a bad thing. Even if all you do is quietly and humbly bow your head and pray silently. By showing your priority of prayer in your life can cause curiousity and open doors for you to share what is you are doing and open up doors for the Spirit to use you to minister to someone you may not even know. Also, offering to pray for someone is a good way to show that you care. But be sure to actually pray for the people you say that you will pray for. The last thing the Christian world needs is another hyprocrit who only talks the talk and not walk the walk. Your life should also be visibly different than that of the people around you. When people look at how you live they should wonder why you open doors for people, do the dirty tasks, and frankly act like the nicest person in the world. As a believer one of the best ways to spread the word about Christ is to be like the man you want them to know, Christ. By treating people like Christ would treat them you are spreading the news of his sacrifice better than any speeches you can make to thousands of people. Showing love to others, especially those who do not deserve it is the most powerful and effective tool to share the gospel. If Christ was love, we should be also. The most important thing to remember about your personal witness is found in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." Do not be ashamed of who you are because you have the God of the universe on your side!

Another way to be a better witness for Christ is to be a light in the dark places of the world. But you don't have to travel around the world to find a dark place. You can be a light at your workplace or in your own home. You can be light in the dark by doing as 1 Timothy 4:12 says, "set the believers as an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." In your workplace you should be the standard of hard work and conduct. Just like the verse says you, as a believer, should be beyond reproach and the example for all to follow. Living as the example requires you to work in such a way that you don't steal from your job, that you go the extra mile, that you do things without being asked, and in general continually treating others as Christ would treat them and as you would want to be treated. God commands us to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15). So be holy and upright. Set yourself apart and you will find yourself in a good position to share the love of God to those who need it most.

But you can never improve your witness if you don't actually share the gift you have been given. Matthew 28:16-20 is perhaps the most well known verse that deals directly with this. It is known as the Great Commission and was the last command that Christ gave before He ascended to heaven and left this world. It says:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of all Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

This command is the equivalent to Christ's last words. They are that important. In fact, before he even commanded it, Christ said that all authority has been given to Him. Therefore, this can be interpreted as one of the most important statements that was ever made. There isn't a method that can be said to work the best or one that never works but what is important is that you are honest, personal, truthful, and open with whoever you are sharing with. If you sincerely share with someone what God has done for you and share that with love than you have done all you can. The point is that you share, not how you share or how many you share with.

In closing it is important that you remember that if you are going to work to improve your witness for Christ than you are now a target of Satan. In living like Christ, you are a major threat to Satan. So, unfortunately you will be persecuted. We will be persecuted for accepting and living a Christ-like life and Paul knew about it (Luke 21:12). He knew it would happen because before he became a Christian he persecuted Christians (Acts 8:1). In fact, in his second letter to Timothy Paul says, "indeed, all who desire to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Timothy 3:12). Paul then goes on to tell Timothy that despite all that, Timothy needs to continue to preach because of the value of the gospel to everyone. He reminds us of the power of God and how God will protect us no matter what. So regardless of what you come across, be faithful to God and He will be faithful to you.

Live out your faith saints, because the message you carry is the most important message of all. Be not afraid of what will happen because you have the sovereign God of the Universe behind you.