A Living Witness
I am blessed with two wonderful mothers in my life.
My own mother is a quiet soul whose life radiates peace even amongst the most challenging of circumstances. She calmly goes through life, caring for her family and finding a myriad of ways to show she loves us. While she is not overly vocal about her faith, there is no doubt that it is what grounds her no matter what happens.
My dear mother-in-law is opposite in character. Her vivacious personality embraces those around her with love and affection. She opens her heart and her life to those around her, easily socializing in any crowd and making friends with many.
While both these women are different in personality, they have a strong thing in common – they live their faith with joy. It is not a fair-weather thing. Through whatever life brings, they lean on the loving arms of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It shows in their interactions and in the way they handle situations. There is no doubt, watching them, that Jesus is the center of their lives.
These women come to mind when I read the following quote from Anne Graham Lotz:
“A witness that is lived can be as powerful as one that is spoken. It’s not what you say but who you are that catches the attention of those around you – which is one reason God allows grievances, crises, sufferings, injustice, and hardship to come into our lives. Because problems offer us the opportunity to give silent, relevant witness to the difference faith in God can make. The problems enable us to become a showcase so that the world can look into our lives and see the glory of God revealed.”
What a powerful sentence at the beginning of this quote! As a quiet person myself I have often lamented that I am not great at speaking in groups and actively sharing my faith in that manner. Yet, as I read these words above, I realize that I am speaking volumes each day in how I live my life.
We definitely make a statement in how we handle the challenges of life. Do we act downtrodden with a “poor me” attitude when things don’t go our way or do we demonstrate our trust in our God who knows what we need? Do we speak poorly of someone who displeases us instead of building others up as Christ says we should? Do we grumble and complain in the tough times or look to God’s provision?
Sometimes I wonder if others see the light of Christ in me. It is certainly what drives my life and I want it to be evident. Yet it must be, when a colleague sees how I am handling my job uncertainty situation and says that my faith must be helping me. Perhaps the reason for all these ups and downs with my employment is to allow people to see that I trust God implicitly with all of my life and I know He has a plan for me. I would not be showing that point as clearly if all is going well with my life.
We can be instruments of hope when we live out our faith in the day to day small moments as well as the big spectacular ones. People can be encouraged when they see how we manage the difficult things in life. When we are honest in our dealings, faithful in our actions, affirmative in our speech, and loving in our attitude, we share the Gospel just as well as if we had preached a sermon.
We have been given a grand showcase to share the light of Christ. Let’s use it wherever and whenever possible.
