Some Thoughts on Sharing Your Testimony

Summary

A pastor reflects on the importance of sharing one's faith story effectively, emphasizing that the focus should be on God's work and the gospel rather than personal details.

Abstract

The author, a former pastor from Louisville, Kentucky, recounts an experience where a church member's testimony missed the mark by focusing on personal happiness rather than the transformative power of faith. He underscores the need for guidance and support in crafting testimonies that are centered on Jesus and His role in personal redemption. The article provides principles for sharing faith stories, including keeping the focus on Jesus, omitting unnecessary sordid details, and ensuring that the gospel message is clearly conveyed. It emphasizes that the power to save lies in the gospel, not in the teller's story, and that testimonies should serve as a conduit for the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Opinions

Testimonies should emphasize God's role in one's life rather than personal achievements or happiness.
Detailed recounting of past sins is unnecessary and can be counterproductive; the focus should be on God's grace and mercy.
The gospel's power to save is paramount, and personal stories should lead listeners to this truth.
Sharing one's faith story requires thoughtfulness and support to ensure it effectively communicates the message of salvation.
A well-crafted testimony can be a powerful example of God's work, inspiring others to believe in the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Reconsidering how we tell our story

For six years I served as a pastor of a small congregation in Louisville, Kentucky. My goal was to get the church more engaged in sharing their faith so I asked a lady in the church to share her story.

When she stepped to the podium she proceeded to talk about her new marriage and how happy she was compared to her previous marriage. To her credit, she did acknowledge that it was God who has led her to her new husband. She ended with the words, “if you are not with a person who is bringing you closer to God, then you are with the wrong person.”

I couldn’t help but sink down in my pew a bit. That was a fine conclusion for singles, but did I just allow a member of my church to encourage people to divorce their spouses on a totally unbiblical basis?

Of course, after she stepped down I had to reassert the importance of the marriage covenant. But the most sickening aspect of the whole affair was I knew this outcome was, in part, my fault. I had asked this woman to share her testimony, but did not give her the tools or support to do so well.

Many people misunderstand the purpose of their testimony and, because of this, end up being afraid to share it and / or regret having done so.

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Here are some basic principles to consider when thinking about sharing your story:

It’s about Jesus, not you. Some people feel the need to recount every detail of their life: where they were born, went to school, ate for lunch… But really you’re just telling people how God has worked in your life. It’s not about how bad you were then or how good you are now.

You can leave out the sordid details. We have all done things we regret, but that doesn’t mean people have to have visual aids to understand how lost you were. Yes, Paul acknowledged the greatness of his sin, but only as a means of demonstrating how gracious God had been to save him. He also spared the details.

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.” (1 Timothy‬ ‭1‬:‭15‬-‭16‬, ESV‬‬)

If you are speaking to an addict, and you were one, then it makes sense to talk about the details. But every person doesn’t need every detail and, sadly, some people will judge you for them. One of the most powerful testimonies I saw in our church was a woman who cried out during worship, “I just want to praise Jesus. He saved me. I was a sinner.”

It is the gospel — not your story — that saves people. The message that people truly need to hear is that Jesus died and rose again from the dead to free everyone who follows Him from the power of sin and death. Your story may be the means of someone being willing to listen to the gospel, but it may not be necessary. The important thing is not just that Jesus saved you, but that He can also save them. This is why it’s critical that — whenever we share our story — we make sure to explain the message of the gospel with it.

Live for Jesus.