“I will be a witness when words are not enough”

(Avalon – ‘Testify to Love”)

 Many times we will encounter others who will not listen to your testimony of God’s love. Many times, we, the children of God, will come across those who will close their ears because of the hypocrisy they have seen through us.  “The greatest single cause of atheism today is Christians who profess Jesus with their lips, but walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle” (DC Talk).  Apparently, they close up their ears, yet watch us with their eyes. 

Sometimes words are not enough, no matter what we say, no one will listen to our message.  In such times we can only be a witness--we can only express God’s love through our actions.  Truly, words without love are obnoxious.  So we must not love with words or tongue but in truth (1 John 3.18).  Prophecies and tongues will disappear, but God’s Word will remain, and become perfected in us, made into love. Love abides forever.  But more on this later, now I want to say that most of the time we must love others before they will listen to us.  And pray for God to build a bridge for us to receive a hearing. 

Our daily walk with God must have love, not just profound words of wisdom, or destructive criticism.  These kinds of works without love are like the dead---they reek.  Patience, kindness, and forgiveness will prevail over words of persuasion.  Often with others who do not have a relationship with Christ, we must be like Jesus, overlook their adultery and idolatry, draw in the dirt, and simply say go and sin no more (John 8.11).  Not that we rejoice with their works of evil, indeed, love rejoices with the Truth (1 Corinthians 13).  But, no one can understand the truth unless God reveals it to them through his Spirit.  And we must walk the walk, but not talk the talk when others won’t listen, but will watch.   

They (the lost) can not understand the spiritual things of God, but we have the gifts on the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2.4).  The disciples could not discern Jesus’ words, until his resurrection. His actions opened the eyes of his follows.  In the same way our actions can help open the eyes of the “carnal” person.  (Remember the Spirit works through us).  Jesus commanded his follows to love one another, because by our love will all know we are his disciples (John 13.35).