Dear Hope family,

Thought for the Week

How to Grow Spiritually – (4) Witness for God

Acts 1v8 “… You will be my witnesses …”

In the garden, a tree needs to release this year’s fruit to make way for next year’s crop. Our spiritual growth is a bit like that. We need to give out in order to grow up and produce more fruit.

In our bodies, muscles need flexing in order to develop stronger muscles. You can eat all you like, but, unless you use your muscles, you will only increase fat rather than muscle.

Our Spirits are the same. We are like spiritual trees or branches: passing the fruit God has already produced in us on to someone else, frees us to grow more fruit. And we are like spiritual muscles: they develop when they are flexed by exercising our love to God and exercising the command to “love your neighbour as yourself” which includes giving our “neighbours” the opportunity to respond to God.

So, the secret of Spiritual growth is not just to look upwards in reading, praying and obeying God, but also to look outwards to share his love and Good News.

In the verse above, Jesus says “you will be my witnesses”. It is a promise. It is a “being”. In fact it is a change of being. It seems the disciples went from not being witnesses, to being witnesses. Here’s an interesting thing, the change was not in what they saw: they had already been with Jesus for 3 years and seen all he did. The change was to be in the Holy Spirit “coming on them.” ( “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses .. to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1v8)

So here’s a question – to whom have I been a “witness” for God this week? If you are not sure, ask for the Holy Spirit to enable you to “be” one this next week.

With love and blessing,

Roland