At some point in your life, you must have had a bunch of questions you wish you had answers to. You must have wondered why certain things happened to you or maybe when certain things you dreamt of would happen. Honestly the “whys”, the “whens” and “if-onlys” never seem to disappear from our minds sometimes.
You’re not alone. I’m pretty sure a lot of us have been there too.
This was exactly the position where the followers of Jesus were at in the first chapter of the book of Acts. They had seen the same Jesus who was with them die and rise again from the death. After experiencing such an incredible miracle, they thought, now must be the time to restore the kingdom of Israel (which had been under captivity for so long).
So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
Acts 1:6ESV
Just as Jesus’ disciples we wonder when God will do certain things in our lives. Maybe that person who’s been waiting for a job for so long is wondering “Lord when?” or maybe you’re waiting on a big breakthrough or hoping to reach a major milestone and all you can think about is “When is it going to happen?”. Naturally we’re curious about the times and seasons in our lives and we wish we had some kind of schedule and timetable of everything that will happen in our lives. (Side note: Wouldn’t that be boring though? If you knew everything that’s going to happen in your life and exactly when it will happen… Let me know your thoughts on this in the comments section below)
However we don’t know and we can’t know.
So instead of focusing on what isn’t in our power to know or change, Jesus had a better suggestion. Acts 1:7
He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
Instead of worrying about times and seasons that only the father knows, Jesus said this is what you should focus on : “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” Acts 1:8
All you need to know is, you have been given power. The Holy Spirit in you empowers you and with this power Jesus wants you to be a witness for Him.
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 ESV
What does it mean to be a witness for him?
Many of us will think this only means talking to others about Jesus or maybe going out on the streets and sharing gospel tracts. This is what we consider “witnessing” However witnessing for Christ is beyond just this.
Being His witness means your entire life and existence tells of the power that’s in you.
If you had an uncontrollable temper before and now you can keep your temper under control, that’s a witness of the power of God in you. If you were addicted to something, anything (could be alcohol, pornography, drugs, etc) but now by the power of the Holy Spirit in you, you have overcome that addiction, that’s witnessing. If you were filled with hate and jealousy towards others, but now you love, applaud and encourage others, that’s a huge witness to the transforming power of God in you. That’s what Jesus would rather we focus on! That’s the power of the Holy Spirit at work in you.
Let the power you have in you through the Holy Spirit transform your life so much that without even having to say a word you must have witnessed to many. Let those that knew you before look at you now and wonder… what happened? Then you can say – Jesus happened. That’s the best witnessing you can do.
Throughout this month we’ll be focused on the power of the Holy Spirit in our articles. Stay connected to us on our social Media platforms and subscribe to our email list so you get an alert when a new article is put up. Don’t miss out on the wonderful Word God has planned for you. You will be blessed and encouraged
Don’t forget to leave a comment with your thoughts. We love hearing from you!
Arise sister, go out there and be a witness!
Stay Blessed