"You shall be witnesses to Me" (Acts 1: 8)
"You shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1: 8)
These words mean that a believer should not only know God, but should also be a witness to Him before all people.
The Samaritan woman is an example. As soon as she knew the Lord, she could not keep silent but ran to tell her people about Him, saying, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did." (Jn 4: 29)
Another example is Philip who, having known Christ, found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote – Jesus of Nazareth …" (Jn 1: 45) Each one had his influence on the others and brought them to the Lord.
You may not be one of the great people who received from the Lord five talents, or even two talents, but have only one talent. This also you should invest and get profit.
Say to yourself, 'How far do I witness to the Lord? How many are those who I brought to the Lord?'
Do not evade your duty or give yourself excuses, that you are not talented, or not fit for that. Moses said, "I am not eloquent … I am slow of speech and slow of tongue," "I am of uncircumcised lips," (Ex 4: 10; 6:30) and Jeremiah said, "I cannot speak, for I am a youth," (Jer 1: 6) but the Lord did not accept the apology of both.
• If you are not talented, you can witness to the Lord by your life, your spirit, your behavior and your dealings. In this case the words of the Lord will apply to you, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." (Mt 5:16)
At least you will be a witness that His commandments are easy to obey, not mere inapplicable ideals as some think. Whoever sees you will say, "In this the children of God … are manifest." (1 Jn 3: 10) Indeed, they are manifest in their lives, their behavior, their spiritual way of dealing, and the words they utter. Whoever listens to you will say, "Your speech betrays you." (Mt 26: 73) However, you should first have a spiritual, pure, and fruitful life, for nobody can witness to the Lord by mere words while his life is sinful. His words will lose its influence.
• You can also witness to the Lord in your own house, amidst your family.
The blood relationship with your family and the natural love among you makes it easy to attract them. If you cannot witness to him in your home, how will you do this to the others? Yet, this requires that your life be without blemish in their sight, and you apply what you say about virtues and blameless conduct, otherwise they will say, "Physician, heal yourself." (Lk 4: 23)
If you cannot witness to the Lord amidst the old, do this at least amidst the young and the children.
Let children love you and they will imitate you. Love them and they will surround you and hear whatever story, teaching, or song you may say. Take them as your field of ministry, and say to the Lord, "Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me!" (Isa 8: 18; Heb 2: 13) If you have natural children say, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Josh 24: 15)
A person who cannot rule his house well cannot be a priest.
It is a prerequisite for priesthood to be, "One who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence." (1 Tim 3: 4) "If a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?" (1 Tim 3: 5)
Witnessing to the Lord at home is essential. A mother takes charge of her child since his/her baptism as a godmother.
She receives her child from the church to raise him/her in God's fear and train him/her in virtue, prayer, chanting, and fasting afterwards, giving the good example. She attaches her child to the church and its rituals, and to confession and Holy Communion. A father likewise has a responsibility, for the Lord says, "These words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house." (Deut 6: 6, 7) On the other hand, a father who insults and quarrels will be an offense to his children, and will deserve the Lord's punishment to those by whom offenses come (Mt 18: 6).
• Witnessing to the Lord among one's friends and colleagues:
One's virtuous life, honesty, decency, and good dealing with others, as well as the love that gives, sacrifices, helps and saves others can be a good example. This will make the others like the type of life you lead and glorify God because of you. However, do not make of yourself an instructor to the others, but be a good example of virtue, and be ready to answer whoever asks you with humbleness and modesty.
Witnessing to the Lord in the field of the ministry:
Not everybody is a minister, but if the church gives you some ministry due to your zeal, readiness, and capability, it will be an opportunity to witness to the Lord. You can visit the sick or comfort the sorrowful, and say what words the Lord may give you, but do not set yourself as a preacher.
In your spiritual life and relations put before you the words said by the Lord and also by John Baptist, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (Mt 7: 19; 3: 10)
Part of the fruit returns to you, and the other to those whom you serve. Trust that if you work in this field, the Lord will give you gifts and capabilities, for He says, "Every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." (Jn 15: 2)
So deep was the life of those who witnessed to the Lord and brought much fruit!
Jonah the Prophet brought with him to the kingdom 120 thousands of the people of Nineveh. St. Anthony brought with him tens of thousands of monks and hermits. St. Paul the Apostle brought the many cities where he preached the name of the Lord.
What about you? Whom will you bring with you to Paradise?
A spiritual person has a mission for anybody he meets, as Philip did to the Ethiopian eunuch:
The Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot." He did, and the matter ended with baptizing the eunuch who then went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8: 26- 39).
Remember how many were put on your way, whether colleagues, neighbors, or beloved, but you did nothing to them? How many did you meet by chance who needed the Lord's word, but you missed the opportunity?
• Some may witness to the Lord by words, while others indirectly.
Someone may offer a book, a cassette or video tape, or invite the others to a meeting and encourage them. A father priest who is not a clever preacher may invite capable preachers to his church for the benefit of his congregation, and may provide the church library with useful books. It is an indirect way of witnessing to the Lord.
It will be good if our usual meetings have a spiritual touch, even indirectly! One can give a word of benefit, a certain verse, or a saying of some saint, in a simple prudent way without appearing as a preacher. Try this exercise: Do not let one day at least pass without a mention of the Lord's name or one testimony for Him.
Do you use the Holy Scripture in your dealings as you use it in your private room?
If you have verses stored in your mind for all occasions you will bring out of your treasure things new and old, when the occasion comes and if you are wise enough to benefit form it (Mt 13: 25).
So many are those who are eager to hear, but find nobody to speak to them in spite of mixing with the church ministers!
Those ministers may be gentle and clever, but they never speak about God, or mention a verse or a saying of a saint, as if they are ashamed to do that. They are like a tree with leaves but with no fruit. Try then to speak about God, to say deep spiritual words, and to convey a message from God to people. Even if one person only benefits from your words, it will a blessing. St. Paul spoke in Athens amidst a multitude, but only one person believed, Dionysius the Areopagite (Acts 17: 34) who became the first bishop of Athens.
Your duty is to sow the seeds and leave the fruit to the soil's nature.
This we learn from the Parable of the Sower (Mt 13). Even if your word does not yield fruit immediately, it may yield fruit afterwards when the Lord's grace prepares the soil. The Scripture therefore says, "Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days." (Eccl 11: 1)
Let the Lord be on your tongue and occupy part of your life, and let holy zeal be your impetus to work in the Lord's Kingdom and to witness to Him in a dark world working for the salvation of sinners instead of judging and defaming or scorning them; for:
"He who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins." (Jas 5: 20)
You may only tell them that hell fire is waiting for them, while you ought to open before them a door of repentance and pull them out of the fire (Jud 23).
Witness to the Lord in wisdom and love, as the apostle said, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens." (Gal 6: 1, 2) To the priests of Ephesus whom he called from Miletus he likewise said, "I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears." (Acts 20: 31)
Let your testimony to the Lord be convincing, satisfying, and rich.
Such testimony is capable of attracting people and making them rejoice at hearing your words as Peter said to the Lord, "To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." (Jn 6: 68)
When witnessing to the Lord you will certainly benefit, for you will grow in the spirit and in the knowledge of the Lord's word, and you will have communion with the Holy Spirit when He speaks on your mouth (Mt 10: 20). You will be urged to apply to yourself all that you say to the others, then "You will save both yourself and those who hear you." (1 Tim 4: 16) Your life will be filled with love for God, for His Kingdom, and for the others. You will rejoice when you see the fruit of your ministry, besides, you will gain spiritual experience in the ministry. You will be obliged to pray for those whom you serve and for yourself.
When witnessing to the Lord, do you give or receive?
No doubt you receive more, for you will also receive the crowns of struggling and righteousness (2 Tim 4: 8). You will have the honor of working with God (1 Cor 3: 9), and you will receive power from the Holy Spirit by which you can serve (Acts 1: 8). Moreover, you will receive purity that your fruit may multiply for He said, "The branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." (Jn 15: 2)
