You Never Know

You never know the impact that your testimony of faithfulness to the Lord can have on another.  In Acts 7 Stephen shares one of the most scathing, telling, prophetic messages that has ever been told and then they stoned him.  Didn't seem to matter much, did it?  Well, I beg to differ.  I believe something that forever changed the spread of Christianity happened there. It is found in Acts 7:58-59- Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”  (www.lifejournal.cc)
By laying the garments down at the feet of Saul, it tells us a couple of things.  First and most basically, it tells us he witnessed not only Stephen's stoning but also his testimony.  Most likely it also tells us that Saul was one of authority in this matter and may have had a part in ordering Stephen's stoning.  We know from further reading (in coming days) that after this event Saul sought the authority to hunt down Christians and further attempt to stifle the voice of the Gospel.  It is one thing for a man to try to break up a movement in his local area.  It is another for him to try to chase it down in other parts.  Such an attempt only comes from a man that is manic about stifling the message.  Saul apparently was.  Why? I believe it was because he was under conviction.  I believe it was because everything he had been taught had been challenged and he was questioning but trying not to.  I believe it was because Saul had given his life to something that was now being challenged by a man with a stronger drive than him: Stephen who was willing to die for the cause of Christ.  A convicted man will try to stifle the message of conviction, to snuff it out, or to respond to it.  If Saul could get the message completely gone, he would not have to deal with it.  He was seeking to snuff it out when he was on his way to Damascus. Of course, as we will read over the coming days, on the road to Damascus he met the Lord and was forever changed. The spread of Christianity was ever changed as well.  How?  By Stephen allowing nothing to hold him back from sharing Christ boldly.  I believe that testimony sent Saul over the edge of conviction and right into the arms of salvation. 
Never underestimate your consistent, committed testimony.  You never know the impact you may have.  Allow God to let you make an impact today just by living  boldly for Him!