December 14, 2008
A Witness to the Light John 1:6-8, 19-28
Witness--I once had to be a witness in a court hearing. What an awful experience. I got blindsided, and the attorneys basically left me with my mouth hanging open. I felt badly because I was there as a character witness and, as far as I can tell, didn't help at all.
That is not a bad metaphor for a witness to the saving power of Jesus Christ. We are often afraid to do so because of the possibility that we might be left with our mouths hanging open (or worse). And yet, we are the only avenue for that witness. If we, God's people, shy away from being a living witness to the light of Christ, it won't get done. We're it.
That's a scary thing in itself. That alone is enough to scare us away from the task of being a witness. The fear of failure is enough to keep us from doing many things. We'd rather not try something at all. If we don't try, we can't fail.
Unfortunately, if we don't try, we've already failed. Our entire lives should be a witness to Jesus. When I was a young Christian, many people used to talk about the "victorious, Christian life." We can't be winners if we don't play the game.
Jump into the game. You might feel foolish, helpless, or even like a loser sometimes. That doesn't really matter. What matters is that you offer yourself as a vehicle for the light of Christ.
