What Is Your Testimony?

An anonymous person said, "your testimony is like a package of tissues; if you don't take them out and use them, they don't do anybody any good. However, if properly used, they make you and those around you feel a lot better. So open yours up and share."

I was in the country of Thailand for four weeks, and I had an opportunity to share the gospel with a freshman in college. But he had a hard time accepting. Why? Because his mom was a Buddhist. And his mom begged him to become a monk so that he could raise more merit and credit for her to go to heaven. So, for a Buddhist, you need to do a lot of good works to make it to heaven… but there are no guarantees. So having your Son become a monk gives you a lot of extra bonus points.

He struggled and asked me what I should do? Should I choose Christ or choose my mom?

I didn't answer right away. I sat with him and listened some more as he shared what was on his heart. The whole time I kept praying silently. When the time was right, I began to share my testimony. My testimony was not fancy or crazy, but I simply shared how I was a sinner in need of a savior. I shared how the only way to get to heaven was through Christ and a relationship with God.

Then we parted ways, as I had to come back to the states. But a few months later, I got a message from him saying, "I choose Christ!"

1 John 5:6-10 says:

And the Spirit is the one who testifies because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself.

Testimonies are powerful because they are honest, vulnerable, and point to Christ.

I love the Easter season because, as people are getting baptized, you get to hear their testimonies. However, I noticed that some people get shy about sharing their testimony because it is not dramatic or crazy, where you had to be a drug dealer or be in jail. Those testimonies are good, and we need to hear them, but we cannot dismiss the testimony that God has given to each of us!

So the question is, what about your testimony makes it powerful?

And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

- 1 John 5:11-12

In short, this is what makes your testimony powerful:

God loves me and has a plan for my life. I am a sinner, deserving of Hell; however, the good news is Jesus died on the cross for my sins. Therefore, I can daily have a relationship with God so that I will be in Heaven with God forever.

Some of us want the dramatic, I sinned like crazy, then Jesus rescued me, type of testimonies, which are a miracle in themselves. A friend of mine was addicted to drugs and a drug dealer and was baptized. We celebrated for sure! And it was a miracle of God! But what is equally a miracle is a person who… went to church all their life, got great grades, never smoked, never got drunk, and never did drugs… but for someone like that to understand that they are a sinner, deserving of Hell. That is a miracle of God as well!

John Bytheway said:

A testimony is more like a dimmer switch that makes possible an almost infinite number of settings between total light and total darkness. Just as there are levels of light, there are levels of testimony as well.

Meaning this, God uses every testimony powerfully because the impact is about HIS story, not your story.

There are two things you cannot do in heaven: evangelizing and missions.

So in our short time here on Earth, keep evangelizing and sharing about God's story.

Pastor Sean

‍