“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled.”—Hebrews 12:14, 15 CWG 31.1
How may I reveal Christ to those whose lives I shall be privileged to touch today? CWG 31.2
Witness of godly life: “Character is power. The silent witness of a true, unselfish, godly life carries an almost irresistible influence. By revealing in our own life the character of Christ, we cooperate with Him in the work of saving souls. It is only by revealing in our life His character that we can cooperate with Him. And the wider the sphere of our influence, the more good we may do. When those who profess to serve God follow Christ's example, practicing the principles of the law in their daily life; when every act bears witness that they love God supremely and their neighbor as themselves, then will the church have power to move the world.”—Christ's Object Lessons, 340 CWG 31.3
It radiates from within: “True character is not shaped from without, and put on; it radiates from within. If we wish to direct others in the path of righteousness, the principles of righteousness must be enshrined in our own hearts.”—The Desire of Ages, 307 CWG 31.4
An argument none can gainsay: “Our influence upon others depends not so much upon what we say as upon what we are. Men may combat and defy our logic, they may resist our appeals; but a life of disinterested love is an argument they cannot gainsay. A consistent life, characterized by the meekness of Christ, is a power in the world.... The word of God, spoken by one who is himself sanctified through it, has a life-giving power that makes it attractive to the hearers, and convicts them that it is a living reality. When one has received the truth in the love of it, he will make this manifest in the persuasion of his manner and the tones of his voice.”—The Desire of Ages, 142 CWG 31.5
To tell what we really know: “As witnesses for Christ, we are to tell what we know, what we ourselves have seen and heard and felt. If we have been following Jesus step by step, we shall have something right to the point to tell concerning the way in which He has led us. We can tell how we have tested His promise, and found the promise true. We can bear witness to what we have known of the grace of Christ. This is the witness for which our Lord calls, and for want of which the world is perishing.”—The Desire of Ages, 340 CWG 32.1
Influence of the atmosphere that surrounds us: “Every soul is surrounded by an atmosphere of its own—an atmosphere, it may be, charged with the life-giving power of faith. ... Or it may be heavy and chill with the gloom of discontent and selfishness. ... By the atmosphere surrounding us, every person with whom we come in contact is consciously or unconsciously affected.”—Christ's Object Lessons, 339 CWG 32.2
When we live in a selfish, self-centered, egotistic, self-opinionated atmosphere of our own making, we repel people. When this is transformed by the presence of God in our lives, then meekness, gentleness, kindness, and selfless service and love will draw people like a magnet to our Lord and Saviour. CWG 32.3
It is not what we say but what we do and how we live our daily lives that makes the difference. We need to practice what we preach. And with all of us, this is the hardest. CWG 32.4
Lord, please help us. This world is dying because they do not see enough completely transformed lives demonstrating the principles of righteousness and the meekness and love of Christ. CWG 32.5
Come in Lord, and radiate from within Your endless kindness, compassion and love. CWG 32.6
Our own testimony of a truly transformed life—not slightly altered, but completely changed—will powerfully move the world and make our religion super attractive. CWG 32.7