One of the most powerful tools in every Christian’s evangelism tool belt is their testimony. Your journey of becoming a devoted follower of Jesus is one that can create a connection to many people you interact with and arguably is the reason why your B.C. (before Christ) was a necessity in your life.
In short, your testimony is simply your story. Every one of us has a story about their life that needs to be told. The transparency and vulnerability necessary to share this with another can be scary, but it is often what opens doors to the heart of an unbeliever. Having a story is something we all have, but knowing how to tell it is an art and here’s how you do it.
To start, you want to make sure you know what God delivered you from. This can be a very clear and concise moment where you finally made a decision to follow Christ, or an ongoing lifestyle that you had to remove yourself from. Whatever it may be, your testimony is not only about God saving your soul, but about saving your life so it is important to know what it is that you were saved from.
Next, you must share how different your life is now that you have God. Scripture tells us that we are made new when we dedicate our life to Christ and that is something that does not only happen with our actions, but with our thoughts as well. Be sure to state why you continue to serve God because it is our purpose that defines our actions.
With that being said, never think your testimony is too small to share. We do not all have terrible life stories, but we do all need Jesus. Your neighbor’s relationship with his wife or your coworker’s interaction with her children could change for the better because of our Lord and Savior. It does not always need to be drugs and alcohol or some other thing that is frowned upon by most in society. On the contrary, many of us fail to remember how much sweeter life is everyday because of Jesus and even more are searching for a way to have a better life and miss it because that testimony that is “too small” is being overlooked.
In the same breath, do not be afraid if your testimony feels too big as well. As stated earlier, transparency is such a powerful component to telling people your story and transparency does not come without vulnerability. Do not be embarrassed of your past because it could potentially help someone else’s future. Trust in God and know remember who you are today is not who you were yesterday as you continue to grow closer to the Father.
A lot of stories in the Bible involve people ministering to others that are going through the same darkness they fought through before. God delivering you is meant for His glory and that is something that can truly be done by sharing. Our testimonies have the power to instill compassion and understanding when used by the Holy Spirit; we just have to give Him the chance to do His work.