Week 12 - Protecting My Witness: How what I say, think, and do matters in the Kingdom.

Revelation 12:11 says, "And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death."

One of the hardest things to digest when beginning a life trying to walk in purpose with God is realizing that whether we think we signed up for it or not, we now live in a fishbowl. People who hear of our newfound faith will be watching, either for confirmation of the change within us or to find evidence that we have not changed at all. We are walking a tightrope because we never know if the person standing in front of us or watching us walk by is someone that the Holy Spirit is placing in our path.

When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus responds that it is to Love the Lord, your God with all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind, and all of your strength and the second is like it, we must love our neighbor as ourselves. Love God and love people. That sounds simple, but we also know that Jesus tells us that the greatest love we can give someone else is to lay down our lives for them. That sounds a little more complicated.

For those of you who are wondering, Jesus is not telling us to go find ways to end our lives. However, he is asking it to give up our OLD LIVES AND HABITS. He is asking us to end all that used to keep us from Him. The Holy Spirit is a change agent. If he truly lives in our hearts, then we are a new creation. It just makes sense that if we are a new creation, we should behave as such.

The number one reason that is given by people who say they do not go to church is the hypocrisy that lies inside the walls. We all know what that means; People who live one way on Sunday and another way the rest of the week. The gossip, the backbiting, the division. If you have not experienced it, then consider yourself lucky.

The questions is, what can we do to stop ourselves from being “that Christian”? How can we walk the tightrope? How can we ensure that we love people where they are? How can we be a true witness for Christ? The answer may be simpler and more difficult than you think. As a Christian, we must be “Christ-like.”

Here are the easiest ways to protect your testimony in this modern, crazy world.

1.  Be careful with social media.
With the rise of social media, it can be easy to forget just how heavy the implications of the things we post, like, share or even just view have on our testimony. Social media has become more than just an accessory to our daily living. Even the extent to which you use it can speak loudly about what you really value most.  You can destroy your entire witness with only a few keystrokes or an unwise post.

2.  Do not place value on material things
God has a plan to give you a hope and a future, but He has this heart for everyone. The danger behind teachings that rely too heavily on prosperity is that they make people believe they are the center of the universe. But, we are not. Ultimately, Jesus is the center of everything we do and that is the biblical emphasis on purpose that we must live out. Not what we gain, but what we lose for the sake of the Gospel.

3.  Do not let the world dictate what is right and wrong
Just because we think something should be permissible, it does not make it so. Luke 17:2 says, "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin." We HAVE to leave behind our old ways and relying on the world to tell us what is ok. Things like watching compromising movies and having certain relationships might not always be sinful. However, when we tread on the edge of a cliff, falling is much more likely and the people watching you could follow.

4.  Decide to only speak life
Proverbs 18:21 tells us, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits." There are only two things your tongue can speak, and if it is not speaking life then it is definitely speaking death. With the words that you say, are you speaking life to others and adding to their value? When we fail to do so, we become a burden instead of being a blessing. Gossip, slander, lies, rudeness, sarcasm. All of these are weapons that the enemy will use to separate a lost soul from the Kingdom. Don’t let yourself be a weapon of the enemy merely by opening your mouth. SPEAK LIFE. Love others with the very words you speak.

5.  Make sure your family has a strong foundation 
While we may preach and champion the concept of faith in God, the way we conduct our family is one way that we live it out. When we fail to lead our families or to participate in a way that blesses the people closest to us, that speaks louder than any doctrine we can ever share. Our families and our children are our best witness. They are the greatest reflection of how we live our faith out in the day to day.

We must strive at all times to live righteously. Yes, the Bible tells us that other than Jesus, no one is truly righteous, but we must continually strive for that standard. We must care what others think about us. Not for popularity’s sake, but for the sake of the Kingdom. We must be in the world, not of the world. We must walk, talk, think, speak, and live according to the standard set by Christ. We must do all we can to ensure that when people see us, they see Christ. Your words matter. How you treat others matters. Your actions are watched more than you know, both in the natural and the supernatural.

We must be constantly aware of this. Never forget that our ultimate purpose on earth is to glorify God and edify the body. If you ever wonder whether something you are doing or thinking is wrong, then ask yourself, “Is this glorifying God or edifying the body?”  If the answer is no, then change. You already have the power of Christ within you. The Holy Spirit calls you His home, and He wants nothing more than to direct your heart and mind towards the very nature of who God is. So, let Him, and watch your witness grow beyond anything you thought possible.