TESTIMONY
My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all day long, though their number is past my knowledge. – Psalm 71:15
I remember well the conversation with a trusted, faithful, devoted worshiper who had spent her entire life in the church. She reflected on a friend of hers and how she talked about prayer, God’s action in her life, and scripture verses. “She just does it so naturally,” she mused. “I wish I could be more like her. I just never feel like I’m saying the right thing.”
She’s not the only one. So many of us feel very self-conscious when considering talking about our faith. Maybe you were brought up with the idea that religion and politics weren’t polite dinner conversation, maybe you don’t want to be thought of as one of “those people” who gets too pushy, or maybe you’ve just always thought of your faith as more of a personal thing. Whatever the reasoning, the idea of talking about what you believe – really discussing and naming your faith in Jesus Christ – makes you nervous.
In worship on Sunday, we talked about testimony. Testimony, in a Christian context, is the act of publicly bearing personal witness to God’s action in your life. This is done in worship in many Christian traditions, but we don’t see it often in a Lutheran context – at least not explicitly. This can leave the impression that not even worship, the one place we’re most sure to talk about God, is an acceptable place to personally express faith.
However, sharing what we believe is a huge part of our faith. Throughout scripture, we hear the encouragement to tell of God’s mighty acts, to point people to the Spirit’s action in our lives, to share the stories of Jesus’ ministry. Your testimony helps others watch for how God works in their own daily experiences. It invites them to consider for themselves what God might be up to. It preaches the gospel, the saving truth of Jesus, in a basic, accessible, meaningful way. Your testimony is powerful!
You don’t have to step in front of church next Sunday for it to count. You can start by making it a small but meaningful part of your day. Just like you’d talk about your favorite sports team or your vacation last month, you can talk about what happened in church or what you read in your devotion this morning. You can do it naturally, comfortably, and confidently. Don’t worry about saying the right thing. Just be honest, compassionate, and faithful. The Holy Spirit will take care of the rest.
Let us pray:
I praise you, God, for all your incredible work in my life and for the opportunity to share that truth. Give me the wisdom and presence of mind to talk about you, what you’ve done for me, and the gift of faith you grant me through the Spirit. Let my testimony be a force for faith. Amen.