The Importance of Sharing What God has Done.
When you are given the opportunity to share your story, I encourage you to do so EVERY TIME. Why, you may ask? Well…
THE TRUTH SETS YOU FREE.
It isn’t easy to speak in front of people, and sometimes even to one person, especially when you are admitting who you used to be without Christ. But let me assure you from personal experience, every time I let someone know what Christ has done in my life, and I am honest about who I used to be, the chains of shame and remorse of the horrible things I have done break down little by little. Talking about it and being honest to myself and others has allowed me to accept who I was and thank God that I am no longer that person. He has made me new. So, just one word at a time, one person at a time, and sometimes just one story at a time… Remember that when the opportunity arises, it is a definitely a “God thing”.
OUR PAST IS MEANT TO ALLOWS US TO CARRY THE BURDENS OF OTHERS.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NIV) tells us,”3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” What we’ve done and been delivered out of will help others. For sure. That is God doing what only God can do and making beauty from our ashes. Before you let the sneaky enemy into your mind to tell you that others won’t accept you, or that your testimony won’t mean anything to anyone, or whatever insecurity that serpent of old may be whispering in your ear; SOMEONE NEEDS TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. Even if you never witness the effect of it this side of heaven, SOMEONE NEEDS TO HEAR YOUR STORY. Never let the enemy stop you from going where the Lord has given you the opportunity to go. Realize that things will happen to discourage you from telling your testimony; that you will be attacked. But keep fighting that good fight and speaking truth in love and you will honestly have no idea who you will impact and what will come from it. Sometimes people will let you know what an difference your honesty and transformation makes in their lives, and sometimes you get no feedback at all. Will people reject you and judge you and hate you for what you say? Maybe, but who are we pleasing? God or man? Also, Jesus tells us that we should expect to be hated by the world. Please see John 15:18-25 and realize that when the world hates us because we are not like it, that we are going in the right direction. We should not promote agitation or strife, but if we are persecuted for our obedience, well… Do you trust Him? Anyway, I digress. Just know that there is never any need to wonder if you did any of it for naught, because (and I say again) SOMEONE NEEDED IT, and sometimes, that someone is you.
IT IS REALLY NOT OUR STORY TO WITHHOLD (IN THE BIG SCHEME OF THINGS)…
Remember y’all, we were bought with a price. It was no small feet for the God of the universe to become incarnate and live a sinless life which He willing gave as a ransom for our sins so that we could be reconciled to Himself through the price He paid. We are called to be fishers of men and sharing our lives, especially after loving our neighbors and building a relationship in which we exhibit the qualities of Christ through the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, is how we do our part in fishing for those men. I would go as far as to say that when we refuse to share what Christ has done in us and through us, we are disobeying that commandment. Sharing our testimony is a natural progression in our faith walk and as Hebrews 13: 20&21 (NIV) remind us, “20 Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21 equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” He will equip you to do what needs to be done to advance His kingdom, and that involves singing our story.
If you would like to read my latest testimony here it is in its entirety. Prepare yourself for the story of a recovering prescription drug addict, trails of life and death, and the challenge that God has calls us to as he strips us from our former identities and molds us into His image. This is my story:
Count it All Joy: Testimony for Lake Pointe Town East Women’s Event Spring 2016
The Adventures of Fishing 