What is your testimony?
The word “testimony” is used in few different ways. One common usage is when a person is brought into a courtroom and placed under oath to tell, attest to, or give witness to his or her personal knowledge or experience with reference to the case that is being heard.
To link the word “Christian” to the word “testimony” is to narrow the focus of the testimony and who can give it. Only a Christian can give a Christian testimony, and a Christian is one who has received forgiveness for sin by trusting alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ for that forgiveness.
A Christian testimony is given when Christians relate how we came to know the God of the Bible through the moving of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Most commonly, we are sharing how we became Christians by God’s miraculous intervention and work in our lives through specific events. Often we can only see that in hindsight, but sharing that experience is vital. Also, when giving this testimony, a sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is always a necessity.
I went to National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation camp a few years back to minister and I heard one of the new female corps members give her testimony....
Everyone was anxious to hear what God has done for her.
Just then she said 'I thank God that among all my friends I am the only one that made it to stream one', and People clapped.
Isn't that normal? It is ooh.
Come to think of it, had it been all her friends made it to stream one she won't feel that her testimony is special.
But with respect to a Christian testimony, she should testify that she made it and not that her friends didn't make it.
I have seen folks testify that they are the only one that passed the exam... And all others failed and the church will claaaaap in wild excitement. Who are the people that failed the exam? Aren’t some of them members of the church? Something to ponder about…
Can we see how others misfortune are gradually becoming our testimony? Our hearts are rejoicing over our friend’s woes and predicaments.
You never went to church for thanksgiving for all the journey mercies until you had a ghastly accident where many passengers died and if you check, the testimony is centred on people that died.
I ask you today? When you count your blessings, do you count others misfortune? Is that your basis for rejoicing? Today you are crying you made a B in an Exam, but tomorrow you will be dancing that you made a C all because others failed... See your heart.
Instead of rejoicing in the misfortune of others,
- Thank God for life not that your mates are dead
- Thank God for health not that Others are in the hospital.
- Thank God for safe Journey not that others never made it to their destinations.
- Thank God for Fruitfulness not that others are Barren.
If you are thanking God because you are not like others you only make the others think God deserves no thanks from them. The two look the same but are very different.
Count your blessings, don’t count my troubles. My trouble is not the evidence of your blessing. Blessings are self-evident.
2 Corinthians 10:12New Living Translation (NLT)
12 Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!
....but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."
Let's be Wise by making a Christian testimony and not celebrating the fall of others.
References
1. Christian Testimony. Retrieved on 4/16/17. From GotQuestion.Org
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