“They triumphed over him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” –Revelation 12 NIV
Testimony
We all have them.
It’s important…our testimony. Important because it tells the story of our lives…little bits of evidences that all merge and create a bigger picture of who we are, where we’re from, and how we got to the place we are now.
For the Christian our testimonies should take on an even greater significance in our hearts, because our stories reveal God’s ever present hand in them. Through the good and bad times of life God’s glory is constantly screaming to the world its never ending resonance. There should be no doubt that no matter how an individual’s life plays out, their story will be added to God’s glory. So with this realization we all should see the great value our stories actually have…but here’s the deal…
Our testimonies are not meant to be shared with only those closest to us…their meant to be shared with the world.
Both Christians and those that have not accepted Christ as Savior are meant to hear YOUR story.
Now don’t misunderstand…sharing our testimonies is not a time to “puff” ourselves up…it’s a time to reveal the goodness, grace, and love of Christ in our lives to those that need to hear it!
By the word of our testimonies we’re adding flesh and blood….meat and bone…to the truth presented in the Gospel. Let’s face it, it’s one thing to hear a sermon on God’s grace, but it’s quite another to hear a brother or sister speak personally of their experience concerning God’s grace.
I think of the Apostle Paul in the book of Acts…in chapter 21 a group of Jewish people have attacked Paul and are beating him for being a representative of Jesus. The Romans catch wind of the situation and come and take Paul away ready to punish him for starting such a ruckus. In chapter 22 I can’t help but be amazed as Paul, in an act of defending himself against the charges being placed on him, tells his testimony to the Romans. And let me tell you brothers and sisters, he tells it all…the good, bad, and crazy ugly.
He tells about how he use to capture and imprison followers of Christ…he even mentions “holding the coats” of those individuals who executed the Christ follower Stephen, giving his total approval of the action. He also tells of how Jesus changed his life forever on the Damascus road by choosing Him to tell his story to the whole world! In a situation where Paul was being questioned about criminal charges, it would make sense that He might get nervous and decide to deny Christ and deny being His follower. If he had then the Jews that were so angry with him probably would have left him alone. It would make sense and all of us would probably understand if Paul was so afraid that he denied God right there… but he didn’t…he did the complete opposite…Paul exposed God’s glory through his own testimony in the harshest of situations.
So that begs the question…what’s keeping us from sharing our story?
I think for the majority of us, we allow fear to creep in and stop us. You can’t do this…No one will take you seriously…sure other people might give their testimony well, but not you. That’s fear brothers and sisters, and we can either let it keep our mouths shut, or we can count on God and work through it.
Someone once said, “Waiting until you’re not afraid to do something is a great way to never do something. Do it afraid.” I don’t know about you, but that challenge rocks me to the core.
Maybe some of you might be thinking, “I’m not very good at speaking…I get nervous and screw things up!” If this is you then let me tell you that I totally understand. When I was a kid I was so shy and nervous that when I had to give book reports in front of the class, I would almost pass out and my face would alternate between a dark red and dark purple color….I was just super uncomfortable. But after stepping out and sharing my testimony a few times, I found that those nerves would fade into the background. Your confidence will build as you let God lead you through the process of sharing your testimony And don’t forget God’s promise to Moses when Moses told Him no one would take him seriously because of his stuttering speech!
God said, “And who do you think made the human mouth? And who makes some mute, some deaf, some sighted, some blind? Isn’t it I, God? So, get going. I’ll be right there with you—with your mouth! I’ll be right there to teach you what to say.” Exodus 4 MSG
YOU…WE are not alone in this and if you’re reading these words right now I want you to know…that your story…your testimony…is priceless. Don’t let fear keep you from sharing God’s heart. Remember also that while we are all different people, we all can relate to each other in so many different ways and situations.
Whether they are a Christian or non-believer, most people just want to know that there is something greater out there to serve then themselves or others…they want to know that life can get better than their situation (whatever it may be)…and that their past can be redeemed somehow, and that their future’s can rest in the arms of hope.
Are you willing to share that reality with them?
Maybe it’s time we try….
