Recently, a friend of mine asked this important question: What does it mean to be a witness?

Here’s my answer:

When we see the word “witness” as in Acts 1:8, the Greek word is “martyr.”

μάρτυς, mártys, “witness”; stem μάρτυρ-, mártyr-

When I think about witness I think about the power of the Holy Spirit within me to endure, even to death, for the sake of Christ.

This has little to do with the trinkets of drinking/cussing/tattoos and more to do with a radically altered heart bent on following Jesus no matter where He leads.

I’m currently writing a book about spiritual growth, and as I have, I’ve had to revisit the cauldron of France, where I felt like giving up, and felt deep and wide persecution. As I reflect on that, I see that most of the growth I can point to today has its roots in that kind of crucible, when at times I despaired.

To be a witness is to keep walking when you don’t feel like it, when others criticize you for it, or the powers of hell rail against it. It’s taking one more step.

Q4u:

In your opinion, what does it mean to be a witness?