The Holy Spirit Witnesses Silently

In a comment on another post a friend had mentioned the Holy Spirit conviction to non-believers even when we say nothing.

I shared with Elaine this story of my days on the fair circuit.

"I have a little story about the Holy Spirit conviction even when we say nothing at all.

We used to own an ice cream business. We would go around to fairs and festivals selling it from a cute little booth. Often the girls who came to buy a cup would be wearing scanty clothing with very revealing tops.

I would serve them with a smile saying nothing at all. Even as they were walking up to the booth they would be pulling together their tops or putting on a sweater in front of me.

They weren't doing that when they were a ways off from the booth, but only as they approached it. I was always happy, friendly and engaging, but they would often cover themselves in front of me.

I thought that it was the Holy Spirit that they were experiencing and felt the conviction of immoral clothing.

Not all the girls did this but enough that I began to really notice it."

Is it any wonder that the Holy Spirit is called the restrainer?!

We don't realize how much the Holy Spirit is restraining others through our silent witness. Some people meet us for the first time feeling very uncomfortable around us but don't know why. They assign something to us to make sense of it all, but in reality they are merely experiencing the presence of the Holy Spirit. Its not about us at all.

Hallelujah, we are witnesses even when we do not speak. This does not mean that we can remain silent all the time, but sometimes we do not need to speak the Holy Spirit does it for us.

Acts 16:6,7.
Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them."

Acts 20:22,23.
"And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me ."