Jesus told his disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

What does a witness do? A witness tells their story. A witness tells what they saw or experienced. A witness shares what they witnessed. A witness does not distort or enhance the story. They simply tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ tell the story of what God did for them. They declare the goodness of God, the love of God, and the freedom of God. They invite others to hear their story and then allow the Holy Spirit to work in the listeners’ hearts. Sharing faith in Christ is not just pulling on heartstrings, nor is it pressuring others to respond in a specified way. Sharing faith is an invitation, one some will accept and others will reject.

The response of people to our story is out of our control. We cannot make someone a Christian. We cannot make them believe. What we can do is bear witness to the amazing Jesus we love, who loves us, and loves the whole world. We can invite others to join us on the wonderful journey of faith, but cannot force them to go.

What we can control is our faithfulness to the truth, our passion for Christ, and our willingness to share what we witness. We do not embellish the story of our faith journey, nor make false promises to entice others. Yet, we never water down the truth in order to make it more palatable. We simply speak the truth in love and let the Holy Spirit use our story, our witness, to change hearts.

Remember, our witness is more than our words, but it includes them. If our words and our lives do not match, the dissonance will be obvious and our witness will be compromised. We should never claim to be something we are not. We cannot call people to a life of faith we are not trying to live. There is no faking our faith. Our lives must be a reflection of the truth we embrace.

At the same time, we cannot live our lives and hope the people around us “get it.” Our witness is more than simply trying to be good and do good things. It is more than just a bumper sticker, or a gold cross around our necks. It is more than just slogans, jargon, and regurgitated quotes. We must share our story and be ready to explain the hope that is within us.

A final tip for being a good witness: don’t be a jerk. By all means be passionate, be truthful, and be real, but do everything in a way that reflects Jesus. Remember who you represent and let your words and actions reveal Christ. All the attention belongs on him

So, today, let’s embrace our call to be witness. Let’s tell the wonderful truth of God’s love and the hope found in Jesus Christ, and let’s live as those whose lives are changed by this great love.