Sharing Testimonies

An honest telling of all the ways God has moved in my life.

Growing up, people didn't give testimonies in my church. At least, not that I can remember. The first time I witnessed people giving their testimonies, it occurred at a campus church I attended during my undergraduate years. The Pastor asked if anyone would like to share their testimony, and suddenly people were standing up sharing their experiences with God. This was a regular occurrence there, but I never joined in because I could never think of anything short and sweet, nor did I experience such drastic life troubles as those who offered up their lives for the whole congregation to see. It made me reflect on my own experiences with God more often than I was accustomed and it struck me as odd that anyone who had been a believer for a substantial amount of time could have only one testimony.

Testimonies are important for three reasons: 1) they allow the believer to proclaim his/her faith in God, 2) they remind other believers of God's power, and 3) they allow non-believers to witness God and choose to believe. Unfortunately, most non-believers write off testimonies as coincidence or luck. In a conversation or at an event, most people only share one testimony. The appearance of God once in a believer's life does not pull non-believing listeners out of the "you got lucky" mindset, however. Sitting in that church, listening to everyone else share an experience, I new that like God, my testimonies of His magnificence would be never-ending. I'm not going to share with you one thing God did for me, I'm going to share everything I can remember (it's a lot to keep up with!).