Have you ever been to the last night of summer camp where everyone blurts out their secrets, or testimony night at a church retreat? You hear incredible stories from people who journeyed to rock bottom and God rescued them, and you’re over there feeling like you have nothing to share because you believed in Jesus when you were three years old, your parents treat you decently, and the only rock bottom you’ve experienced is at the beach. If someone asked you to share your testimony, you might even say “well, it’s kind of boring.” Consider these 6 reasons your boring testimony is powerful. Let’s get confident in the story God has given you and learn to have joy in sharing your POWERFUL testimony!
- Other Christians with a similar story will be encouraged to hear yours.
- You didn’t need to “see it to believe it.”
- You are following in the footsteps of scripture’s most commended believers.
- You get to share the same joy of salvation with everyone who loves God.
- Others are blessed to see God in your family tree.
- You’ve had a strong practice of trusting God with the “little” things.
1. Your boring testimony is powerful because it encourages other believers who have a similar story.
Why do we share testimonies in the first place? First, to proclaim God’s excellencies. Second, we share our testimonies to build up other Christians’ faith. Even if you think your testimony is boring, other Christians with a similar story will be encouraged to hear yours.
For example, I share my testimony to encourage others who have been through traumatic experiences that you can experience God’s goodness despite and even through the trauma. I want them to know that God loves them and will come to help them. I want to help people who are questioning God’s goodness know that yes, he IS good. It may only be a few times in my life, but when someone is encouraged by God’s work in my life, I am so happy!
I can’t tell you how many times someone has told me they weren’t sure they wanted to share their story because it seemed so boring in comparison to testimonies like mine. People who don’t have miraculous conversion in their story will also be encouraged by your strong faith through similar circumstances. There are other people with simple testimonies that need your encouragement!
2. Your boring testimony is powerful because you didn’t need to “see it to believe it.”
Sometimes we have so little faith we constantly seek signs from God before we’ll really believe what he says. On the other hand, if you think your testimony is boring, that means that you’ve taken God’s word at face value. You haven’t tried to decide for yourself whether God really has our best interest at heart by delving into sin or seeking other gods or spiritual traditions. Faithfulness like that is anything but boring!
3. Your boring testimony is powerful because you are following in the footsteps of scripture’s most commended believers.
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.”
Hebrews 11:1-3
Hebrews 11 lists a number of people who received commendation for their faith. That’s it. Those people took God’s word at face value just like you do. Your faith from an upbringing or calling that you may think is too simple or boring is the very same thing that God blessed in all these people. You are following in their commendable footsteps.
4. Your boring testimony is powerful because you get to share the same joy of salvation with everyone who loves God.
When it comes to eternity, God has given you precisely the same salvation that he gave to someone he lifted from rock bottom. You will share the same delight in Christ’s presence in heaven as someone whose coming-to-faith was miraculous. If we truly acknowledge the weight of the sin God has forgiven us – no matter how uneventful our own life may seem in that regard – we will love God much for the salvation he’s given us.
5. Your boring testimony is powerful because others are blessed to see God in your family tree.
Some people have a family history full of the hurt of sin. If your testimony involves two loving parents who raised you to believe, you get to tell those of us with crazy testimonies or broken families what it looks like when God loves children through two healthy parents in a strong marriage. Just to know that is a possibility in this broken world could be like a breath of life to some believers.
Catching up with a friend recently, I learned that while she had a boring or unexciting testimony, her mom grew up with a lot of struggles. My friend’s simple faith is a testimony of God’s loving kindness toward a woman from a difficult upbringing. If your parents had a difficult coming-to-faith, perhaps you could see your testimony as the beautiful result of God’s healing in your parents’ lives. This is what it looks like when God heals and blesses generation upon generation!
6. Your boring testimony is powerful because you’ve had a strong practice of trusting God with the “little” things.
This last point may not be true of everyone with a boring testimony, but it is true of some. While some of us have spent much of our lives learning to run to God with our disasters, you may have spent your years learning to trust God with the little things. Whether it’s fundraising money for the church mission trip, or asking for God’s help on your test – you’ve built a practice of bringing your “little” needs to God. You have a peace that he will be with you in those things too.
Your faith in God’s provision for the simple things is a gift. You’re not treading water over the sins you need to ask forgiveness for, or the drama in your family – you get to focus on Jesus’ wonderful teaching about worry in Matthew 6. You know that God knows what you need, and that he’ll provide it. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33.
Your Story Isn’t Finished
I’d just like to add a word of encouragement since we both know that your story isn’t finished. I pray that you will be blessed. We also know that difficult things happen. Loved ones get sick. We will all lose a loved one for the first time in life, and then more to follow. Do not worry that your testimony now seems uneventful, and also remember that everything the Bible tells us about God is still true when difficulties come your way. He is with you.
Conclusion
Do you see now that your testimony can do exactly what anyone else’s story can do? You get to share your faith and joy with other people in a way that will encourage them & lift them up. Let’s recap why your boring testimony is powerful:
- Other Christians with a similar story will be encouraged to hear yours.
- You didn’t need to “see it to believe it.”
- You are following in the footsteps of scripture’s most commended believers.
- You get to share the same joy of salvation with everyone who loves God.
- Others are blessed to see God in your family tree.
- You’ve had a strong practice of trusting God with the “little” things.
Thank you so much for coming to my corner of the internet and taking the time to read what I have to say. I hope you are encouraged. Did anything speak to you? Tell me in the comments! I would love to know.
Blessings,
Almost a Walrus
