A Powerful Witness

They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they praised God because of me. (Galatians 1:23-24)   
 
Paul recounts his testimony from others who had certainly noticed a dramatic change in the course of his life. Moving from a persecutor to a proclaimer, he made a deep impact on his culture for Christ. Just think of the 180-degree turn in this man! What a testimony! What a life! How about you? What do others say about you and the change they have witnessed in your life since you have turned to Christ? 
 
There is a report about you floating around the community where you live. It may be exceptionally wonderful, or it may be damaging to the Kingdom of God. The impression we leave on others lasts a lifetime. Often, we are oblivious to the things people are saying about us. Some of us act like we don’t really care at times; the reality is that we should care.  
 
A person once said, “The only Bible some people will ever read is you.” That’s a sobering thought today. What are your pages revealing about the regeneration experience in your life to the casual reader who is only privy to just a moment in your life? Maybe, you were short-tempered with a waiter, or you were disrespectful to someone in your family in a public setting, or you were rude to a fellow employee. The Holy Spirit knows how to point those issues out to us at the right time…and maybe that time is now. 
 
You have a brand-new day before you to begin a new chapter of love and grace flowing from your inner soul. Don’t miss this chance to begin again with sensitivity to the Lord and to others. In the days to come, I pray that others will praise God because of your life and its powerful witness to a changed life. Yesterday is gone, today is before you, and tomorrow is far from now. When you are more concerned about what God is thinking about you than other people, the time will come when they will praise God because of you.