We’ve been reading together in Max Lucado’s book “Just Like Jesus” and this week’s chapter on having an honest heart speaks primarily of being honest. One of the things that Lucado brings up is the need to be a truthful witness for Christ. We’re called to testify of what we’ve seen and heard about Christ. We’re called to give clear evidence of Christ’s work in our own lives. I’m going to let Lucado’s chapter speak to you of the importance of being an honest person; for my BLOG this week, I’m going to diverge on this one tangential thought: being an honest witness of Christ.

Our lives are constantly being observed. People are watching us. People are especially interested in us if we say we follow Christ. Some people are watching to see if we live what we say; if we “practice what we preach.” Some people are waiting to catch us doing something wrong. Some people are praying like crazy that we’ll do what we say we’ll do; they want to know Jesus is real, and they’re counting on us to prove Him out.

But even if we live our lives in an exemplary manner – and bring great credibility to the cause of Christ – if we never open our mouths and talk about our faith in Jesus and what He’s done for us, we are not an honest witness.

Witnesses speak. Witnesses open their mouths and utter words that tell the truth. Witnesses don’t get a lot done by smiling or sitting still and nodding or pantomiming or “going through the motions.” Witnesses tell the truth by talking to others about the truth.

For us to truly be witnesses of Christ in the world, we have to open our mouths! We have to talk to the people in our world around us about Jesus’ love and forgiveness. We have to tell them about His free gift of salvation. We have to become honest friends, and trusted advisors, and resource people who have the truth to share. We have to open our mouths and tell them that Jesus loves them, that He died for them, and that He has prepared a place for those who choose to follow Him with all their heart.

There’s more. We have to ask questions, too. “Do you want to know Jesus?” “Can I talk to you about how Jesus changed my life, and how He can change yours, too?” “What do you think about Jesus Christ?”

Those may be hard questions to ask up front with no warning and with no “warming.” but we can ask other questions to warm them up for the really important questions about forgiveness and salvation and eternity. . . we can ask them to dinner so we can build relationships that lead to the opening to talk about faith. We can ask them to meet church friends so we can all warm them to the possibility of asking Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. We can invite them to a Sunday morning Worship Celebration or a church picnic or a special event so they can begin to get a sense of the safety and friendliness of the family of God.

Being a witness of the saving grace of Jesus Christ requires a life lived in such a way that Jesus is made evident to all who watch us; but to be a true witness you have to open your mouth!