You likely have heard the word testimony before and may have listened to others share their personal experiences, but have you ever put much thought into your own testimony? I think we often make the mistake of believing that if we didn’t have some earth shattering major transformation in our lives that our testimony doesn’t matter or that our testimony ended when we accepted Christ as our savior. Not true! God can and does use our lives to show others his awesomeness!
I pretty much grew up in church. My dad started taking my siblings and I to the local community church when I was in the second grade. My mom followed a short time later. I went to vacation bible schools and attended youth groups all through middle school and high school. I accepted Christ when I was 13 years old and although our home life wasn’t picture perfect it wasn’t some big life altering moment. I wasn’t hooked on drugs or struggling with depression. I was your average low income middle school kid in a small town.
My life of course changed the day I accepted Christ, but that was only where my testimony began. I stayed involved in church after high school and didn’t go away to college. My life was pretty boring in most people’s eyes. That all changed in my late 20’s. I met a guy, got married, and things spiraled down from there. I wandered lost for a while, but through God’s guidance found my way back and have been blessed in ways I never could have imagined.
Through my experiences I have been able to connect with other people who have struggled with the pains of infidelity and divorce. I have been able to share a genuine sense of understanding and not just be a sympathetic ear. I believe that God allows us to go through tough things, not only so that we can grow closer to him, but also so we can be there for others who are struggling with similar circumstances. It’s very difficult to show empathy when you yourself haven’t been through trials.
Our testimonies help us to share God’s amazing love for us with other people. They help us to connect on a personal level and say I have been there. They give an answer to the question people often ask, “why do you believe in God?” 1 Peter 3:15-16 tells us to always be prepared to have a defense to anyone who asks us for a reason for the hope we have! Our personal experiences of God’s faithfulness in our most trying times is to me the greatest defense we could have for our beliefs.
I used to be scared and hesitant when asked to share a testimony. Honestly, it’s still an area I struggle with, but I have found the more I have shared with others the more people I have met who have gone through similar life circumstances and trials. Some know Christ as their savior and some don’t. Sharing how God brought me through tough times has helped me to be more outspoken in my faith in general. The next time you feel that nudge to share something God has done in your life, don’t hold back sharing your testimony because you may find others have more in common with you than you think and your testimony just might bless someone.
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