Never Not Witnessing ...

God shows his favor to certain people by sending them to Wisconsin for Christmas break and following up with 12 inches of snow. The rest have to spend Christmas in places like San Diego or New York.

For my part, I'm in northern Wisconsin speaking to a group of high school students at a conference at Camp Forest Springs (Westboro, WI). We've been considering some of the life lessons from Daniel, so far, and I thought I'd pass on one of them.

Daniel lived a life of immense integrity. From his earliest days in captivity, he stayed faithful to the law of God and refrained from eating unclean food from the king's table. Later (in Daniel 6) -- much later, in fact, probably 67 years later -- Daniel is still the same man, faithful to God and responsible in his work. Those who hated him and sought his life had to make Daniel's unwavering devotion to God illegal in Persia in order to trap him in "wrongdoing".

If you follow Daniel 6 to the end, though, an amazing thing happens, even more amazing than Daniel's safe night's stay in a lion's den. The regent of Babylon, Darius the Mede, actually sends a message throughout the whole empire urging people to reverence the great God whom Daniel serves.

Daniel could never have broadcast a message like this to so many people. However, he never stopped broadcasting the message about what he believed and valued to those who knew him. That is why his life had such an impact in the kingdoms of Babylon and Persia.

Now, I know a lot of people who would say they are not good at witnessing. They don't feel like they've got the personality, platform, or answers to lead people to the Lord.

Bosh!

Take a cue from Daniel's life. You are always witnessing. You can't stop witnessing. You can never not witness. Your life and conversation are a ringing testimony to the things you think are true and valuable and worth giving your attention and money to.

We are always leading people to our lord. It's simply that our lord may not be Jesus. If He is central to our thinking, desiring, planning, behaving, etc. then we will lead people to Him, unless we purposefully hide our faith in Him through fear.

However, if something else -- like career, sports, acquisitions (i.e. my new Kindle), or a new boyfriend -- commands all our thoughts, desires, plans, etc. then we will unwittingly, but invariably, lead people to this lesser lord.

So, think in these terms: You are great at witnessing and you're always doing it. The question is really, what message your life communicating?