Another year has come and gone once again.  The old calendars come down off the refrigerators and are replaced with the new 2008 calendars.  Last year is quickly becoming a distant memory as we get back to a normal schedule after the hustle and bustle of the holidays.  

Looking back over this past year how many non-Christian people did you tell about Christ?  How many un-churched people did you share your testimony with telling them about how God is working in your life?  Did you share with at least one, three or maybe ten?  If you did, that is absolutely wonderful, after all that is what we have been told to do by Christ Himself in Matthew.  Let me tell you a story. 

Two men were in the church office discussing some business of the Church when the subject of witnessing was brought up.  John was telling Mike about how many people he had witnessed to this past year and what a joy it was to be able to tell someone about Jesus and to share the blessings he had received during his walk with God.   Mike felt the same way.  Telling someone about Jesus and helping them to get started on their journey in building a relationship with God is one of the most exciting and joyous occasions we, as Christians, will experience.  The conversation continued and John was able to count at least 27 people he had witnessed to in the past six months.    He asked Mike what his count was and Mike responded with a whopping 384 people in just a week.  John looked at Mike in a strange way with a scrawl on his face as he contemplated the response and Mike began to explain.  “You see John, my number does not represent the people I have talked to about God, it represents the missed opportunities where I could have said something and didn’t.  Yes, I have witnessed to some people, but am ashamed to say that for whatever reason I have passed others by, whether it was because I was in a hurry, afraid of what they might say, afraid of being ridiculed or persecuted or just plain lazy. God put opportunities before me and I did not take advantage of them.  I could have been their only chance to hear about Jesus and what He did for them.”   

How many people have we passed by?  Did we say something to the Cashier at Wal-Mart or the person who takes our order at McDonalds or maybe the person standing next to you in line at the checkout counter?  How many people have we come in contact with today, just today, that we said nothing at all about our Savior who died for us so that we may have eternal life?  You may be the only person who will ever tell this person about Jesus.  Not saying anything is called the “Sin of Silence”, a sin of deadly consequences. 

A new year brings about a new beginning.  What will your number be?  How many missed opportunities will be notched into your belt?  Together we can conquer the “Sin of Silence”.