“And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” Revelation 12:11
This month, my teammates and I are partnering with a private Christian school in Lezhe, Albania, tutoring middle and high school students in English. While joining the students for lunch, I initially wondered how I was going to be able to relate and engage with 13-18 year olds for a whole month. Turns out, I have more to share with them than I originally anticipated…
“There is power in your story.”
A testimony; the story of our lives, and specifically in the Christian context, the story of how God brought us into a personal relationship with Him. We all have one, and every time we share our testimony, there is power from God to work in believer and non-believers’ hearts. In fact, part of my personal testimony includes a change in my heart that occurred after I heard an alumni’s testimony during a chapel service at my high school Concordia Academy!
For the believer- our personal testimony gives us hope, encourages faith, and builds trust in God. I was recently talking to my sister who illustrated this point perfectly.
In her obedience to obey the Lord’s call to student staff a CRU Summer Project, Kaylin found herself a little overwhelmed one evening with fear and anxiety about support raising. While the enemy worked to distract her from God’s promises, she quickly reflected on her own testimony, specifically in regards to support raising in the past. Looking back to all the times God had called her to missions, and then the support raising process, He provided for all her needs in abundance! This realization encouraged her to continue walking in this new season of preparation with a hope and a strong trust in God to faithfully provide.
If you ever find yourself in a low moment of discouragement and begin to doubt God’s goodness in your life, I encourage you to reflect on your own testimony. Although we may be blinded in our current season, God ALWAYS works our lives for good when we abide in Him. There is power in your testimony for yourself and other followers of Christ to recognize these truths.
For the non-believer- our personal testimony is used as a tool by God to change hearts towards Him.
When believers share their story about life before and after a personal relationship with God, hearts change. Every time we share our testimony there is power, by and from God, to turn non-believers toward Him. Ultimately, it is Christ’s blood on the cross and our repentance that saves. Our stories are used by God to profoundly illustrate this to non-believers in a way that is relatable and undeniable. I believe that in sharing our story we make ourselves open to those around us. We may each tell a different tale, but something can be learned by all who hear about Christ’s redemptive presence in our lives.
Back in the lunch room at Lezhe Academic Center I understood that I can share my testimony with these students. We may have more uncommon life experiences than common, but at one point I too was sixteen, attended a private Christian school, and dreamed of changing the world. I will never know who my story impacts or how it is changing hearts, but I do know there is power from God when I speak out about His redemptive power in my life.
