The Power of our Testimonies

Every Christian has a story to tell of what God has done for them, a personal testimony. People can challenge what we believe, but they cannot deny the impact Jesus Christ has made on our lives. It is a profound and powerful witness for God when people see our lives changing radically after we have made a commitment to Christ.

We need to recognize that we are constantly being watched as Christians. When people find out we are a believer, they are going to start watching our every move. The moment we open our Bible, the moment we bow our head to pray for our meals, people will be watching us. They want to see if we practice we preach. They want to see whether we are legitimate, whether we are the real deal.

We as Christians are representatives of the Most High God. It does matter what impression we make on others, because we are being watched.

It is interesting how often the apostle Paul used his personal testimony when he spoke to unbelievers. Though he was a brilliant orator and extremely knowledgeable about Scripture and theology, he would begin with his testimony. Why? Because it is a bridge to unbelievers.

It is hard for people to imagine us as anything but what we are today. When they hear us praising God and talking about His goodness, they think, “Where do these people come from?” They are amazed when they hear our stories, when they hear us say, "I wasn't always this way. Christ transformed me." That amazes people. It is a powerful tool.

When we share our personal testimony, don't glorify or exaggerate the past. The blind man who was touched by Jesus simply said, "One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see" (John 9:25). When we tell our story, instead of wrapping it in religious rhetoric, we should share how we felt. As we tell our story, the person we are speaking to might even be thinking, “That is how I feel right now.”

And then we go on to the main subject, the Gospel. We use our testimony to build a bridge and say, "Now here is the message I heard and would like to share with you. What do you think about that?" Our testimony is a way to share the gospel without immediately getting into someone's face. It's a way to build a bridge, not burn one.

Every time we share our testimony, point to Christ and the cross. As Paul said, "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). That is where the power is: in the story of Jesus and His death on the cross. He paid for the sin of humanity. So let's never tire of telling it.

-malt