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For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men.  2 Corinthians 8:21

Pastor Chris’ message at Church of the Highlands struck a chord with me this past Sunday.  He was teaching us the importance of letting our spiritual self, not our physical self, guide our behaviors and decisions.  Knowing full well that most people struggle with self-discipline, he challenged us to not allow our senses (how things feel, taste, look, etc.) to rule; but instead, to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us.  He explained that allowing our senses to rule, and the actions and behaviors that result from that, dilutes our witness.  Well, he got me thinking….

We tend to think that what we do is no one’s business.  We don’t care what other people think.  We assume that people don’t pay much attention to how we live our life.  We assume our witness is only our testimony or a private one on one conversation with someone about God.  We forget that our entire being, every minute of our day, and every breath we take is our witness.

We witness with our eyes.  People pay attention to what we look at, what we gawk at, and what we watch.

We witness with our ears.  People notice what we listen to, what we tolerate, and what we allow in.

We witness with our hands.  People watch how we spend our time, whether or not we help and serve others, and how we make a difference.

We witness with our mouth.  People hear what we say.  They hear how we treat each other and how we respond when challenged.

We witness with our discipline.  People see our self-control or lack thereof.  They know whether our mind (and our heart) is the master or the slave.

We witness with our strength.  People pay attention to how we handle death, grief, rejection, and pain.  They see where we turn when we need help.

We witness with our heart.  People can tell whether or not we care.  They can feel the warmth and they can feel the cold.  They can see joy, happiness, kindness, friendliness, and love.  And they can see all that is the contrary.

Everything about us is on display.  WE are our witness to the world.  And if our witness is diluted, or even worse destroyed, we will struggle to fulfill the unique role God has called us to; we will struggle or fail to lead others to Him.  We have been given this life so that we may make a difference in the lives of others for eternity.  We have been given the ability to witness with everything from our head to our toes.  I’m challenging myself and I will challenge you to make the very most of your witness every single day; to live the purpose for which you have been made.

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