March 20, 2021 Bible Reading
March 20, 2021
Testimony
It was a cold Fall night in Binghamton, New York. I was attending the New York Men’s Ministry Conference when I heard a speaker share his testimony. His vulnerability blew my mind! Right there, in front of hundreds of men, he shared his entire testimony—the good, the bad, and the ugly. He told how after years of being an angry and abusive man, God changed his heart and helped him overcome. While his story was powerful, what stood out most to me was his willingness to share it.
Early in our ministry, this was a big struggle for me. Fear of what people would think or betraying family members by sharing my story, kept me from using my voice the way God desired. I’ll never forget the night I attended a conference, and the Holy Spirit used a speaker being extremely vulnerable with their story to teach me that my testimony did not belong to me. Instead, it belonged to God. It was the story of His redemption, His grace, His healing, and His ability to change lives. Because of all He has done for us out of an attitude of gratefulness, each of us has the responsibility to share our testimony with others so that they can have hope that God can do the same thing for them.
Revelations 12:11 says, “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”
One of the most powerful ways that we can can share the Gospel with others is by sharing our testimony. Ironically, this is also one of the scariest things to do because it means that we have to be vulnerable about our story and share personal things without knowing how people will respond. If you’re like me and you grew up in a house that said, “What happens inside the home stays inside the home”, it can be a real struggle to share parts of yourself that aren’t exactly flattering or to share family secrets.
However, the truth is that your testimony has the power to change lives. Don’t let the lies of an the enemy who hates the idea of people having a personal relationship with God, who doesn’t want people’s lives changed for the better, and who doesn’t want people to spend eternity in Heaven, keep you from using your testimony to share God’s story with other people.
When it comes to helping people come to Jesus, your testimony is your greatest tool. You don’t have to be preachy or full of theology. You just have to be real, be vulnerable, and honestly share “this is what Jesus did in my life.”
Memory Verse: “They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” (Revelations 12:11, NIV)
New International Version (NIV)
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