Witness Protection Program - September 2022

Have you ever thought about how you will respond when you have the next opportunity to speak of God's goodness to someone who doesn't know Him? Have you ever thought about what you will share, or how you will be a witness for Christ? The bible tells us to always be ready to explain our hope as a believer (1 Peter 3:15), so if you aren't, ready, it's time to get ready. Opportunities to profess your faith will present themselves in places that you least expect.

Upon leaving a restaurant one day, a woman approached me, referenced my tattoo, and asked me about God. Now, because this tattoo is on my back behind my right shoulder, I often forget it’s there. Nonetheless, I have a tattoo of the Bible, with a cross in the middle, and a rainbow on top of the cross with the words “God’s Promise” underneath (see Genesis 9:12-16 for the back story there). I shared with the woman the meaning of my tattoo and why I got it and she began to ask me about Jesus. She asked me questions like, " How do we KNOW everything will be ok one day? How do we KNOW that God will do all of these things He said He would do?" I went on to give her two examples of God faithfulness.

The first example was of Gods covenant with Noah. Because of Noah’s obedience, God promised Noah that he would never again curse the ground because of man, because man’s heart is evil from the start (Genesis 8:21). As a result, God placed a rainbow in the sky as a reminder to Noah of that promise. I then shared with her the most important promise of all, God sending His Son, Jesus Christ to Earth to live as man, and die as man, only to rise again and ascend so that we all have everlasting life. The Woman responded to me saying, “I know all that. But if we want to get to the kingdom and take people with us to the kingdom then what do we do?” I have to be honest, her question stumped me for a moment. I wasn’t sure how to answer her in a way that she would “get it.” But then I thought about what I do each day and I simply responded, “You have to show who God is in the way you live each day. You have to be an example of God’s Love and you have to live a life that honors the sacrifice Jesus made for us all. And the Bible tells you everything you need to know on how to do just that.” She then smiled with excitement and said, That’s it, that’s it.” I reiterated to her that Jesus was humble and He wasn’t boastful, but everyone knew He was special by the way He lived His life. He wasn’t like everyone else.

One of my really good friends has been saying for years, “don’t ruin your witness.” To put it plainly, don’t say you are a Christian, yet the way you walk, talk, and breathe shows the complete opposite. For example, members of sororities are charged to carry ourselves in a way that will always reflect positively on the organization. If you are observed wearing “letters” while doing something that will reflect negatively on the organization, you can be expelled. That’s how important it is. Likewise, we must always remember as Christians, we wear the name “Jesus” on our forehead, across our chest, on our car, etc. The name Jesus is with us wherever we go. We are always labeled as followers of Jesus and as such, we have to make sure that we are great advocates of Him. We must must go forth and make disciples of all nations, we must share the good news of Jesus with others, we must confess that we believe in Jesus, and we must be a walking example of God’s love (Matthew 28:19, Romans 10:9, John 3:16).

Although I was a bit uncomfortable at first, I’m glad the Woman approached me and challenged me about Jesus. It made me think of all the ways I can do a better job of being a witness for Christ. It also reminded me that it’s not enough to study the Word for myself and teach it to my children, but I must study and know God’s Word so my life reflects EXACTLY who Jesus is and the goodness He shows to those who love Him. I must live my life in a way that allows me to share Jesus with anyone I cross paths with. I must strive to be His “star witness” in this case called life!  Unlike the witness protection program instituted by the federal government, we don’t have to be witnesses to Jesus in the dark behind closed doors. God wants us to BOLDLY speak of the His goodness, every chance we get. As we acknowledge Jesus, stand up for Him, serve as witnesses for Him, and “testify on His behalf”, we will be protected.

Thank you Heavenly Father for originating the ULTIMATE Witness Protection Program!

Tyndale House Foundation. (1996, 2004, 2015). Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Carol Stream, Illinois. All rights reserved.: Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers