Can I Have A Witness!

Who do your friends say that Jesus is?

A good man? A prophet? John the Baptist? A trouble maker? A fictitious character? A risen savior who bore the sins of man on the cross? Do they even care? Is there any topic with more importance? There are many important topics, but there is only one with the most importance. Does it make your heart heavy when your friends don't want to talk about the Savior?

In all of my current relationships and in spite of my own shortcomings, that is the question I desire to ask them. In many of my relationships I don't feel right for whatever reason in asking that kind of question now. Though it is all I really care about and they sense it. I cannot prevent my own conversation. It gives me away. My "witness" about my faith is as natural as my understanding of how a car works. It's interwoven with all my words. I seek not to offend and If I offend, I refrain. I refrain not because I deny Jesus before men, I refrain because they are not receiving it. I like many things and I have many enjoyable conversations, but my pleasure is the Savior.

Even with some of the brethren, I am afraid to ask that question. That's ok.

Even in church, I steer to the Savior, some steer differently, I feel like a fool. That's ok. If I am patient, I find others in church who love the Savior.

Yet these are the people in my life right now. I know not all their secret feelings toward God and I will not try to figure them out or judge their standing with the Father. Maybe they just don't trust me enough to share such intimate thoughts about God. Maybe they are afraid I will try to correct them and they are just tired of other people trying to fix or worse yet judge them. Therefore I seek the reward that comes from patience.

In the end, I just rest on the fact that I am just a servant who is commanded to love my neighbor. In this I do not believe I will fall from Grace or desire to forsake the work nor prove to be a poor witness.

Dave