Actions speak louder than words. Don’t they? The same can be said for how one witnesses to others about their faith. Before He ascended to His Father in Heaven, Jesus, Himself, instructed His apostles by saying, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations … teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28: 19-20, NIV). Today, Christians are still called to continue Jesus’s Great Commission of disciples making disciples; however, disagreements sometimes arise on the best way to witness. Well, this post explores how the very approach of how you walk through life, literally, witnesses to others.
Walking… Together?
As temperatures rise, more and more people venture outside to enjoy the sunshine. In fact, among the myriad of potential outdoor activities, walking serves as a relaxing way to exercise while also soaking in God’s warmth and light! In my own neighborhood, more people have recently donned walking shoes and taken to the sidewalks for some much-needed Vitamin D. During several of my own jaunts around the neighborhood, I observed a couple walking. However, how they walked served as a poignant reminder of how an individual’s actions reflect a powerful witness to others.
Shortly after the couple embarked on their routine stroll through the neighborhood, the husband, who maintained a solid grip on their dog’s leash, rapidly increased his stride and pace, creating an ever-widening distance between him and his wife. Although the husband took on the responsibility of monitoring the couple’s dog, he allowed the task to distract him from the growing distance between him and his life partner.
Meanwhile, the man’s wife visibly struggled with the physical act of walking, not to mention keeping up with his rapid pace. In fact, each labored step she took manifested in a strained grimace, resonating across her face. When she glanced up to check on her husband, a look of disappointment registered in her longing eyes. Was she discouraged for not matching his pace, or was she disappointed because he appeared to leave her to walk alone?
Perhaps you are wondering whether she called out to him. The answer is no. What, if anything, did he do? Did he check on her? Yes, but not how you might think. You see, the husband periodically stopped and looked back over his shoulder at her. Occasionally, conflicted emotions registered across his face. However, did he choose to turn around and walk alongside his wife while she struggled, or did he continue moving forward and allow the distraction of the moment (i.e., their dog pulling on the leash) to justify leaving her to fend for herself? Unfortunately, the latter.
Personal Connection
Currently, my family is facing some weighty challenges, just like many of you on any given day. When I have reached out and asked others for prayer, they have had a choice. Despite distractions and busyness in their own lives, these individuals can choose to walk alongside my family and me, or they can let my family fend for itself.
Honestly, from my own experience, those who have gone out of their way to check in on my family, as well as fervently pray for us during this difficult time, are choosing, despite their own busy lives, to walk alongside and support us any way they can. What powerful witnesses of faith! Why? These individuals are living examples of faith in action. Their actions speak louder than their words.
Jesus’s Powerful Example of Witnessing to Others
Jesus lived a life of faith in action. Throughout Scripture, Jesus did not go to those who seemingly had it all together. Instead, He chose to stop, turn around, and walk alongside those struggling (even if it meant delaying His own plans). For example, in Mark 5:21-43 (NIV), Jesus was on His way to heal Jairus’s dying daughter. On the way, Jesus encountered a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhaging for twelve years. What happened?
The bleeding woman touched Jesus’s garment and was healed. Instead of succumbing to the busyness at hand of going to heal the daughter of a prominent man, Jesus stops, turns around, and asks, “Who touched me?” Not concerning Himself with being viewed as ritualistically unclean or that He was delaying His arrival at Jairus’s home, Jesus turns to the woman and says, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
Jesus recognized and modeled how one’s walk of faith witnesses to others. He made time to meet people where they were and witnessed through word and action. The good news is He still does! One way is through the hands, feet, and voices of others when they choose to follow Jesus’s example.
Scripture on How to Witness through Faith in Action
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:2
“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
John 15:12
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16
“Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
Philippians 2:4
Closing Thoughts and A Call to Action
At some point, each of us will face the same type of decision, as Jesus with the bleeding woman and the husband walking his dog did. When you encounter someone in need, will you stop, turn around, and walk alongside them in their difficulty, or will you turn and go? As a child of God, remember He puts people in your path for a reason, and the Holy Spirit needs you to respond to His nudges and act. After all, actions speak louder than words, and how you walk through life, literally, witnesses to others.
Related Posts:
How to Discern Ways God Speaks
Immeasurable Power Borne out of the Holy Spirit’s Nudging
Reflect Life-Affirming Christian Witness in the World
Special Acknowledgement:
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Wow, this one really hits home with me. Not just in the aspect of witnessing (which I need to do a better job), but in the mundane, everyday things I do. I need to put my faith into action on a more routine basis. I tell myself that I “try” but as Yoda says “do or do not, there is no try.” I eagerly await your next post.