Everyone loves a good story. A story can take you on a grand adventure in a far off place. Stories tell the tale of heroes conquering villains and princesses finding prince charming. Stories excite with suspense and solve mysteries. A story passed down enables you to step into the lives of generations gone by. A story shared gives you a glimpse into someone’s day. Stories open the door to see who people are and what matters to them.
We all have stories. We have stories we cannot wait to tell our best friend next time we see them. We have stories of the crazy things that happen to us others might not believe. We have stories of joy, excitement, and celebration over answered prayers, new jobs, making a new friend, welcoming a baby, and taking a courageous step. We have stories of sadness, anger, and loneliness over loss of a love, financial fallout, making mistakes, perpetual waiting, and feeling invisible. All of these small stories join together to form the big story of our life. For daughters of the King, this story is our testimony.
Testimony can be defined as a public declaration of a religious experience and a means to provide evidence. As a child of God, our stories proclaim glorious transformation and testify to the death, resurrection, and saving grace of Christ. Our testimonies serve as a spiritual weapon with the power to conquer the evil one and sin’s death grip on the world. Revelation 12:11 says that we overcome Satan, the deceiver and accuser, by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
For a long time, I underestimated this power in my story. I thought that my testimony was boring and plain. My story is not one of drastic measures, and it does not include a dramatic conversion event. For these reasons, I thought my simple story of being raised within Christianity was not impactful or stirring. However, I was so wrong to think this way. There is nothing insignificant or weak about the way Christ invades someone’s life, and that is exactly what He did to me.
The Lord provided me with a sweet encounter with a sister in Christ to teach me this lesson. Several months ago, I attended a conference for women that serve in ministry and wish to speak, write, and lead. This was the second time I had the privilege to attend this conference, and I knew the Lord would meet me there in an intimate way as He had before. During the first night of this event, I went to a prayer session where I met a lovely woman who had recently given her life to Christ. We prayed together that night and continued to see each other over the next couple of days. Each time we would stop and talk about what we had learned in our sessions and how the Lord was moving in our hearts. Most importantly, we ended up sharing our stories with one another. I learned that in becoming a Christian, my friend left a different religion behind to experience true relationship and love in Jesus. This transformation costs her all she had ever known, but the new life and joy clearly consuming her was irreplaceable. I was so enamored and in awe of the work of the Lord in her life.
As she shared her testimony with me, I began to tell her my story. I told her of my experience growing up in a Christian home, attending church, and going to a Christian school. Everywhere I went, I was surrounded by Jesus and His word. I could not remember a time that the Lord was not a part of my life. I told her of the impact of my parents and siblings, the influential teachers over the years, and the encouraging sisters in Christ I had found. I shared my God-given passions and dreams with her and how God had already been so faithful throughout my life. As it turns out, my conference companion was just as enamored and in awe of the power of God through the telling of my story as I had been with her story.
The thing is our testimonies commonly displayed the story of Christ, and that was the source of power. Despite our opposite experiences, it was Jesus that made the difference. Jesus brings new life personally and purposefully to all who choose Him. He makes all stories beautiful. Romans 8:28 says “we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” When resurrection power unites with our story the goodness of God is revealed and His purpose is fulfilled. At all times and through every circumstance, God is masterfully weaving and creating our stories to be lived and shared. We are welcomed into His story so that we can extend His invitation of grace to others. As we boldly own and share our stories, we take a stance to combat the evil one and positively impact the kingdom of God.
Join me in believing that God is powerfully scripting your story. Each part of it. The good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly can be used for His glory. Let others see your life. Let them see who you are and where you’ve been because as people see you, a child of God, they are bound to see your Father, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and the world’s greatest author.