Witness

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have”  - 1 Peter 3:15

There are three types of witnesses in a court of law: a character witness, an expert witness and an eyewitness.  Each type of witness may be called upon during a trial to take the stand. What they say, what they attest to, what they convey will go a long way to either harming or aiding the individual on trial.

To any believer that reads this you know that from time to time we are each called to bear witness, not to the law of man, but to a faith in Christ.  Life's challenges arise and pass and it is in the midst of these challenges that we are character witnesses. Like it or not it is Christ on trial (yet again). Our words and deeds speak to the character of God, of our Christ-likeness, for by being made new in Him we are now a living embodiment of Him, and we cannot allow others to simply see our circumstances, but the character we display in the midst of those circumstances. Our friends, our family, our co-workers...they are watching.

When we have come through a particular challenge we are now equipped to be an expert witness. We have seen the sorrow, or the fear, or the pain that descended upon us....we bore up beneath it, only by the strength of God...and we should not be surprised if people are then brought into our lives in the months or years to follow who are right then enduring the same types of challenge that we survived. It is now that we are most easily moved to tears, for we have seen the savior as he cradled us and we are now able to assure the hurt person before us that surely they too will be cradled, in due time, by hands that carry love and mercy without measure.

God filters us, purifies us. Scripture points to the process in many instances. Once purified and made an example of God the burden is on us to remember that responsibility. If so blessed we also are given the opportunity to be eyewitnesses of God at work, all AROUND us. In random acts that reveal themselves as anything but.  There is a beauty there we all could see if only we were willing to submit to it and testify to it.

"Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" It's a song. Yes. It's also a question. We must answer it every day. Maybe you stood tall today. Maybe you ran and hid. Maybe you just dropped to your knees and prayed. Whatever. Christ is counting on you. The world, the jury, waits. So take that stand...be a good witness of one  form or another, and testify.