As believers, we are commanded to be witnesses. In fact, Jesus said we will be His witnesses in all parts of the earth (Acts 1:8). He didn't ask us if we wanted to be; He says we will be His witnesses.

 

What does it take to be a witness? Well, you have to know something or have seen something that you are a witness to. We are to be witnesses to who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Obviously, that means that first, we must have that personal encounter and relationship with Jesus.

 

Then in Acts 1:8 Jesus says we need power from the Holy Spirit. In other words, I can't work up the courage or the skills to witness without power that comes from the indwelling Spirit of God.

 

What kind of witness are you? Perhaps it comes very natural for some of you to open up conversations, but most of us don't seem to be gifted that way. Does that let us off the hook? No, we are ALL witnesses. However, we all witness in different ways. But think about this: When an opportunity comes your way, do you seize that moment to witness? Do you recognize witnessing opportunities? When was the last time you sowed some seed of your faith in Christ?

 

Why do most of us do a poor job of being a witness? Here are some common reasons: We are fearful of rejection or ridicule. Our hearts are not compassionate; we just don't care enough. Our knowledge is weak; we don't know what to say. Our experience is limited.

 

But the truth is, nothing will vitalize and energize your spiritual life like sharing your faith with others who desperately need Jesus. Not all will listen; not all have open ears. But our job is simply to sow seeds, as God gives us opportunity.

 

What is the best method of witnessing? It has to begin with your life. The walk must match the talk. The walk must precede the talk. Then we must meet people where they are. That's how Jesus witnessed and that's why we need Christians in the marketplace—in every kind of job—seeing their assignment to be a witness right there on that job. That gives us opportunities to give answers "to everyone who asks us to give the reason for the hope that we have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15).

 

Now, giving an answer for the hope that is in you does not mean that you give a sermon or outline God’s plan of salvation each time. It may be one sentence that you say today—one small seed you sow. It may be weeks before you get an opportunity to sow any more seeds. But you are witnessing each time you sow a seed of love, of caring, of concern, and yes, of verbal sharing.

 

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Do you feel like you go into a jungle everyday? It is indeed a "jungle out there" in that work world. I'm talking about how we witness in the jungle, so I'm going to use that image to give some examples of how to witness in the jungle.

Witnessing to the Giraffes:

I always think of giraffes as very proud, holding their head up high, looking down at everyone else. They appear to be in total control and in need of no one but themselves. How would you witness to Geraldine Giraffe:

 

You've worked in this job for two years, and Geraldine has hardly spoken to you. She's been here ten years and thinks she owns the place. She always talks about how important her position is and how busy she is, and does more than her share of name dropping. She shows no signs of vulnerability and is intimidating in her appearance.

 

But you've just heard that her mother is dying with cancer. You find yourself at the coffee pot with her alone and while she still appears in control, you sense a need to talk, as you chit-chat over coffee. What could you do?

 

You could simply ask about her mother. Give her an opportunity to talk about what you know has to be bothering her, whether she shows it or not. "Geraldine," you say, "I just learned that your mother is very sick. I'm so sorry to hear that."

 

"Yes," she answers, a little uncomfortably, "thank you."

 

"You know," you continue, "I have an aunt who has the same type of cancer, and it just seems so unfair, doesn't it?"

 

"Funny you would say that," Geraldine turns to you and starts to talk, "because that's just what I was thinking this morning. It's not fair! My mother is a good person."

 

"Well, I just wanted you to know that I'm going to be praying for you during this tough time. I know there's not much anyone can do, but I believe prayer is powerful, and I promise to pray for her and for you."

 

There are many ways you could open up a conversation with Geraldine in that quiet moment together. You may get one sentence in or it could develop into a long conversation or an invitation for lunch. But that would be an opportunity you would not want to pass up.

 

Geraldine Giraffe's facade fades fast when you show her some compassion. Remember this principle in witnessing to the giraffes: Don't let looks deceive you! The people who appear to be least interested are often the most open. The people who appear to have their act together the most are often the most needy.

 

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Are you witnessing in your jungle? We often say, "It's a jungle out there," referring to our jobs. Well, using that imagery, I'm talking about how to witness in our jungles, and now I want to talk about witnessing to the Chimpanzees.

Witnessing to the Chimpanzees:

Chimps are cute and carefree, jumping about here and there all the time. They're party people, who seem to never have a serious thought in their heads or take anything seriously. How would you witness to Cindy Chimpanzee?

 

You've been working late a lot this week and you're tired. You can't think of anything but getting out on time today. Cindy is breezing around the office as always, talking to everyone, laughing about this and that, and leaving her work undone, as she often does.

 

As you're getting ready to leave—on time—Cindy comes up to you. "Can you help me?" she says. "My boss has just chewed me out because I didn't get this done, but I just don't know what to do. He said to check with you." For once, Cindy looks worried and nervous. You know she's been put on probation because of her sloppy work habits, so her job is at stake. What could you do?

 

You could say, "Sorry, Cindy, but I've worked late a lot already this week and I intend to get out of here on time today. You should have been getting that done all day instead of flitting around talking to everybody."

 

You could, but obviously that's not going to open any doors for witnessing to Cindy. Maybe instead you say, "Well, I really wanted to leave on time today, but I can stay for an hour to help you, I guess." When you go out of your way to do something for someone, it often opens a door and earns you the right to share with that person.

 

That would take sacrifice on your part, and it would require you to stifle some of the comments you may want to say to Cindy. Sure, her work habits are bad, but her real need is to know Jesus. Don't let your irritation with her work habits cause you to miss an opportunity to sow a seed with Cindy.

 

After you've bailed her out, Cindy might say to you, "I really appreciate your help. If I can ever do anything for you, please just let me know." That's an opportunity to invite her to a woman's luncheon at church, or a singles social, or to your home.

 

Remember this principle when you're witnessing to the chimpanzees in your jungle: When someone is "always happy," underneath is usually insecurity and pain. When someone needs your help and is vulnerable, they are often most willing to listen. You earn your right.

 

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Do you work with snakes? I'm using the imagery of animals in the jungle to talk about the people we work with. Please understand, I'm not referring to people as animals, but simply using that phrase we often say—"It's a jungle out there"—to teach the biblical principles that we are witnesses for Jesus when we work in those jungles. We’ve looked at witnessing to the giraffes and the chimpanzees. But how about the snakes?

Witnessing to the Snakes :

 

The "snake in the grass" type is the trouble maker in the company. They slither around causing fear and harm wherever they can. They're known to stab people in the back, bite when the other person's not looking, turn on a good friend, use situations for their own advantage, take credit for other people's work, and generally take care of Number One! They play the political games with finesse!

 

How would you witness to Regina Reptilia:

 

Regina is a person you typically avoid. She cannot be trusted and her reputation is not above reproach. So for the past year since she started working here, you've stayed out of her way.

 

However, today you find yourself in the cafeteria line behind her and both of you are eating alone. Unexpectedly, she turns to you and says, "Hey, you by yourself? Wanna join me for lunch?" You're trapped, so you say, "Sure."

 

During lunch she says, "Hey, Barbara tells me you're the religious type—go to church all the time and everything. Is that right?" What would you say?

 

Here's a suggestion: "Well, I don't think of myself as religious, but I guess some people might call me that. What do you call religious?"

 

Now, that could open up a very interesting conversation. Or you could take another tactic: "Yes, I guess some people would call me religious. Really, it's not just religion; it's a relationship with a person—Jesus Christ."

 

Regina Reptilia might respond, "Oh, you're one of those born again types, I guess. Well, whatever turns you on!" And you could answer, "Yes, I am thankfully born from above and it truly does turn me on to peace and contentment. What turns you on, Regina?"

 

Remember in witnessing, you want to get the other person talking. If you do all the talking, you're probably not doing a good job. Witnessing is not lecturing or preaching. It is getting the other person to focus on a topic that is normally off-limits, but if you'll let them open it up and talk about it, then it's okay to talk about. Find ways to turn every witnessing opportunity into a question-asking session. That's how Jesus witnessed, and it works.

 

Here's a principle to remember in witnessing to the snakes: Don't be afraid of the direct question, even if it seems condescending. It's a great opening. Remember, everyone needs the Lord, and He loves "snakes" as much as He loves

you!

 

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Do you work with any lions in your jungle?

Witnessing to the Lions:

Lions are always in charge, right? They tell everyone else what to do, they are loud, they are in control (or try to be), and they think they're king of the jungle. How would you witness to Larry Lion:

 

Larry storms up to you—as he usually does—telling (not asking) you to do something for him. He's not your boss, but he thinks he is because he is at a higher level and he's been there a long time.

 

You explain that you won't be able to get to it today. He gets into his typical pushy mode, and you lose your cool. "Listen, Larry," you say, "I don't report to you. I have my own work to do. You'll have to get it done some other way. It's not my job, and I'm tired of you always telling me what to do!"

 

Larry stalks off loudly cursing: "?!*#!!*?, what does it take to get some cooperation in this place?" Several people in the office hear the commotion and turn around to look. You want to crawl in a hole, but the words have been said. They can't be unsaid. What could you do?

 

"Well," you say, "I can't witness in that situation. After all, I just behaved poorly and did my testimony harm with unkind words."

 

Oh, but those times of failure can be opportunities to witness. Surely it would be better had you not said the unkind words, but the right thing to do is to apologize. So, you find an appropriate moment to say to Larry, "I want to apologize to you for those unkind words I said. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I've asked God to forgive me, and I hope you will, too."

 

Larry says, "Oh, oh... it's okay. I know you're busy." You reply, "Yes, but that's no excuse for bad behavior. Tell you what—as a peace offering, how about having lunch with me, my treat?"

If Larry agrees to have lunch with you, he's on "your turf" then, so to speak, and you might discover that the tough exterior changes dramatically and you'll have an opportunity to talk about the really important things, like your faith in Jesus.

 

So, here's the principle to remember in witnessing to the lions: Failure can be an open door. Instead of running away, face it head on and see how God will use it. And remember that lions almost always have a soft interior, if you can find a way to get them to open up.

 

Please don't miss your opportunities to be a witness for Jesus, on your job and everywhere else. Just sow those seeds, no matter how small, and see what God will do with them.

 

Mary Whelchel is founder and president of The Christian Working Woman.  This set of radio talks was broadcast between February 7 and February 11, 2005.        © christianworkingwoman.org      Used with permission.      Content distributed by WorkLife.org > Used for non-profit teaching purposes only.