Commissioned: Testimony: Your Story for Their Earنموونە

Beautiful and not Ashamed

The people of God have always passed on their faith by word of mouth. From person to person, from generation to generation, God has made Himself known through personal testimony. When someone speaks of God’s mighty works, his wonderful deeds, and his awesome acts, it encourages others that he can do something similar in their lives as well. It promotes faith, and faith leads to encountering God.

The focus of our testimony should always be on our encounter with God and the work He is doing in our lives. The details of our lives can make our story relevant and relatable, but the power of the story lies in the fact that we have encountered the risen Christ. The good news is that Jesus is alive today, that he has changed my life. If he changed my life, he can change yours as well. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But people have to know this good news before they can call on Him.

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring [the] good news!” The apostle Paul is quoting the Prophet Isaiah, who miraculously announced the good news of the coming Christ 700 years before his birth. He is saying in poetic language that the message is so good that the very feet of those who bring it are beautiful!

But, not everyone sees it that way. As Isaiah himself experienced, not everyone believes the good news. Not everyone will have a positive response to our testimony about Jesus. This is why the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, urging him not to be ashamed of his testimony but to face rejection with the strength that comes from God.

“Faith comes from what is heard.” Sometimes, we tell our story about encountering Jesus Christ to people who do not have faith. That is okay because faith comes from what is heard. Our story itself has the power to bring faith. We may not see the effect of our story on the person right away, but the Holy Spirit can cause our words to ring in a person’s heart and mind long after we are gone. At the very least, we have given that person the information they need to call on Him when they are ready.

Stop, think and pray:

Let’s prepare to share our story about encountering Jesus by praying both for ourselves and for those with whom we will be sharing. Let’s pray especially for the five people in the Prayer-Care-Share plan.

“Father, I thank you for the privilege of speaking to others about You. I ask, Holy Spirit, that You would open the hearts of all who hear me to receive the good news about Jesus. Lord Jesus, grant that I would never be ashamed to share with others about my faith in You. Amen.”