Verse of the week - Acts 1:8

How visible is my faith?


If you read my blog, I hope it is clear that I am passionate about living for Christ. In real life, each day I start with some quiet time with Him and His Word. I often converse with God in prayer throughout each day.


And yet, while the meditations of my heart are where they should be, the words of my mouth fall a little short. It is "easy" to boldly proclaim my faith here where I can't see my audience. I can carefully compose my words, delete, and rewrite until just right. It is more challenging to vocalize it in my everyday conversation with "strangers" and those I come in contact with each day.


In my weekly time with my daughter last week we talked about ministry, missions, sharing your faith, and related topics. I asked Paige if she would ever want to go on a mission trip. I'm quite a fan of mission trips (and missions in general) as they played a pivotal role in my faith during my high school and college years.


Her answer shook my own thinking. The simplicity of her observation caught me off guard.

Our conversation then went something like this:

Paige: I could go on a mission trip right here.

Me: Yeah, you're right, we have a ministry right in our home and family where God placed us.

Paige: No, I mean like pass out tracts and stuff right here in our town.

Me: Wow, yeah. (witty response -- could've jumped on that opportunity a little better I suppose)


I'm ready to travel the world for Christ, but how often do I recognize the spiritual needs knocking right on my door, sharing the elevator with me, checking out my groceries, chatting with me at the play ground?

I think I need to revise Acts 1:8 for my situation. It says, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Here would be my expansion of this verse into my world (feel free to share your own personalization):

But you will receive power (God's power - not my own - His boldness, courage, and faith) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (that's already happened, so I don't have any excuse for keeping my mouth closed), and you will be my witnesses in your own home, neighborhood, and broader community and the towns north and south that you travel through every week, and even all around the world.


God keeps pricking my conscience about sharing my faith, presenting a more Christ-like attitude when out and about so I can share my faith without hesitation or embarrassment. If you want some more conviction and tools along this line I would encourage you to check out The Way of the Master. As I type this I am listening to Hell's Best Kept Secret, and I will definitely listen to the others in the near future.

Life's too short to keep it to ourselves. And, eternity is too long.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea
and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

~Acts 1:8~