So what’s your story? What’s your testimony?
I’m a Lutheran pastor and I know a lot of our readers are Lutherans who probably aren’t real comfortable with the whole concept of testimony, but listen for a moment.
Lee Strobel shares one of the experiences that started opening his heart toward faith and it was through the testimony of a man, Gary, he was covering for an article. Gary had been a hardened gangster for most of his young life. He’d had numerous run-ins with the law and finally got in deep trouble when he attempted to kill a rival gang member. Miraculously, the Lord prevented the gun from actually firing, but Gary had to flee to Oregon to escape the law. There he got a legitmate job and his coworkers brought him to faith. He and his girlfriend got married, and started raising a Christian family. Years went by, but Gary’s past always haunted him. He finally decided to go back to Chicago and turn himself in so that justice could be served. The judge was so moved by what he’d done and how he’d truly changed that he let him off with probation. When Lee asked Gary about his reaction to the judge’s ruling, he said it was simply grace, a model of the grace God had already showed him in his life. Lee couldn’t help but be moved.
Now you’ll agree this is a moving story, but isn’t that what testmonies are, just moving stories, ones desired to grab people’s emotions. The reality is that the Bible is full of people’s stories and testimonies, designed to grab us and let us see how God works in people’s lives. Just watch the witness of Paul throughout Acts. One of the things he does repeatedly is tell people his story, transition from Christian persecutor to Christian witness. If Paul promotes the technique, maybe we should give it some serious thought.
Another common objection to testimonies is that they’re always sensational. Certainly Gary and Paul’s testimonies are pretty incredible. And I can understand feeling kind of strange about sharing your experiences when you were baptized when you were a baby and raised up in the Christian faith. How’s that going to move people? Well, the reality is that many people can actually identify with the less spectacular stories even moreso than the incredible ones. When you dig into the story of your faith you’ll find the blessings of God, maybe being raised in the faith, but also challenges- the teen years, problems at work, in your relationships, etc, places where you’ve seen God in your life. When you hear people speaking about such challenges (or blessings), that’s where your “testimony” comes in. It might not seem spectacular, but it’s where you can engage people’s lives with the story of God in your own.
Finally, I agree that my experiences and testimony can’t be the whole enchilada. That’s why it’s good to think through the aspects of our lives and how God’s word has met our needs. What Scriptures have been formative for you? Which ones have helped you in hard times or good times? Which ones work well to share as you’re sharing your experience?
So the action point here, start thinking about aspects of your “testimony” and what situations might come up where you can share. Also start thinking about passages from the Bible relate. And if it makes you feel better, you don’t have to call it a testimony. In all honesty, I wouldn’t do so with mine as it saves one from the baggage some associate with that term. You’re just sharing your story. People are almost always open to that.
Tags: Lutherans, story, testimony, Unexpected Adventure