By Sr. Theresa Rickard, OP
Have you ever been deeply moved by a friend’s story of experiencing God at work in her life? Have you been impressed or even awed by a fellow parishioner talking about meeting Jesus for the first time, or the time he felt the Holy Spirit urging him to act in one way or another?
Stories of religious faith are interesting to those of us who believe, aren’t they? So many of us find God and talk about God in our everyday lives and we are indeed called to do just that—to give witness to our values, beliefs, and religious commitments by telling others about what we believe and how we meet God in ordinary experiences at home, in our place of work or school, or while running errands.
Sharing the realities of God acting in our lives has the power to help those with whom we share a passing moment, an ongoing activity, or even a lifetime, to see God present and working in their own lives. Seekers and believers alike need to hear the faith stories of others in order to encounter Christ or to encounter him anew.
There are seven simple habits that will help you point others to Jesus:
- Choose joy—When you radiate joy, you radiate God. The ongoing call to serve God and neighbor joyfully—even during difficult times—is the principle aim of our Christian life. That joy captures the minds and hearts of those with whom we share our stories.
- Be humble—Authentic humility is knowing who we are in relationship to God, understanding our strengths and weaknesses, and generously making our talents available for the common good. We can only witness to God’s mercy if we have experienced it. We use that knowledge to approach others with empathy and love instead of judgment.
- Preach from the pulpit of life—The way we live speaks loudly about God (or doesn’t). When we see God in the world and share that knowledge with others, our lives become our pulpits to witness to our faith.
- Pray unceasingly—Praying gives us the spiritual resources and inner strength to be powerful witnesses to Christ through hospitality, encouragement, and support of others.
- Listen well—To be effective witnesses to Christ’s redeeming love, we need to listen both to God and to those with whom we are moved to share our faith stories.
- Practice the art of accompaniment—Walk with others along their journeys of life and be a steady, trustworthy friend in everyday life.
- Engage in God-talk—Bring God into our everyday by engaging in spiritual conversations by using virtue words such as love, gratitude, and kindness; share what you are grateful for; talk about the power of prayer; define what your faith means to you; and explain why you go to Church and why hearing God’s Word and receiving the Eucharist in community are important to you.
These seven simple habits will help you become comfortable in being an authentic, life-changing witness to your faith. Though each of us is called to be an everyday witness, there are many ways to do it—we each do so in our own way. When we let God work through who we are, with the unique gifts we possess, we are most effective in revealing Christ to others.
Sr. Theresa Rickard, OP, is a Dominican sister of Blauvelt, New York, a well-known retreat leader, and president of RENEW International. She is the author of Everyday Witness.
