A New Way for Christians to Tell Their Testimony
I was always kind of ashamed of how I came to Christ.
Not that I was embarrassed by Christ himself, per se, nor of my faith, but my story didn’t seem to fit everybody else’s. Everybody else’s story seemed to follow a clear structure: who they were before Christ, how they met Christ, and who they are now that they have Christ.
Mine…doesn’t. My story isn’t as clear-cut as that. And yet, multiple people in the church told me this was the way to tell your story: pre-Christ, meeting Christ, post-Christ. That there should be a distinct conversion about the sin you used to live, and how you’re a different person now, and how Jesus is the hero.
And in a way, that was true for me. Nevertheless, my story doesn’t fit that model. And it took me a long time to realize that’s okay. The problem was not my story: it was the model.
Have you ever felt that way? That your Christian story was somehow wrong, or inferior? Let me share a new way with you, a way to tell your story that’s different, but true, honoring both God and the individual journey he’s taken with you.
It starts by telling you my story. Don’t worry, I’ll be brief.
MY STORY
I grew up in the church with parents who weren’t afraid to question their faith and find ways to get closer to God, not just religion. So I considered myself a Christian, but honestly, it was more of Christianity by proxy. I did the stuff, hung out with the people, sang the songs, liked God. Good enough, right?
But when I was 19, my girlfriend of two years broke up with me, and I did not like the guy she left behind. That breakup caused me to realize how codependent I was. Not just on her, but on my parents, my friends, anybody who seemed to have something I lacked. I hid. I didn’t feel like a man.
That’s when I remembered Jesus’s promise to give “life more abundant.” (John 10:10). So around the time I turned 20, I got on my knees in my college dorm room, and said, “You want to give life more abundant? I need that. So let’s start over. You give that life, and I’ll follow you.” That was the start of my Christian journey. While I’d always believed, I now lived it.
And you probably noticed a big, gaping gap in my story…where’s the sin?
FIXATION ON SIN
We’re often taught that salvation stories should focus on the salvation part: the sin and redemption. We’re told Christ rescues us from our sinful ways by his death on the cross, and now we are new creations.
And on one hand, I absolutely believe that! I believe I am a sinner saved by God’s beautiful grace, and that without him, I’m doomed.
But here’s the problem: it’s too narrow.
I didn’t come to Jesus because of sin; I came to Jesus because my life wasn’t working. This includes sin, but it’s so much more.
Is codependency sin? Is confusion about your life path a sin? Is loneliness and emptiness a sin? Is pain a sin? Because I was dealing with all of these, and I wanted Jesus to fix all of them. And he has—he still is!
That’s my testimony: that God was not just interested in my sin, but interested in my everything. He cares about the mundane moments, about the aspects that are more about wisdom than morality (like choosing a career or where to live), about my dreams, my heart.
And so I have a question; why is that testimony wrong?
SO MUCH MORE
To be honest, I don’t think it’s a good idea to just get with God because you’re sinning. It’s not wrong, just incomplete. Like buying a car because you want air conditioning. My friend…there’s so much more it can give you!
I think this is why Paul says “work out your own salvation…” (Philippians 2:12). He means to look it over, examine every facet the same way you would an inheritance: really dig into everything you’ve been given.
I’ve been given life. A life that is hard at times, scary at times, and flat-out confusing at times. But it is a real life, one of adventure with God rather than the staleness of my own choices. I’ve seen things I can’t explain, watched mountains crumble, and yes, seen sin conquered.
Maybe that’s you. Maybe your story doesn’t fit the old wineskin. If you’re like me, then here’s the new way to tell your story. It’s actually quit similar to the old one because yes, there is a life before Christ and a life after. If they’re the exact same, something is wrong.
But here’s the difference: don’t get stuck on sin. If God did a miraculous work with sin in your story, but all means, tell it! But otherwise, simply tell the story of what God has done for you. It doesn’t matter if he didn’t cure a drug addiction or change you from a mean boss to a nice one. If God is doing work in your life, then that’s your testimony.
Wherever he’s working, that’s your story.
And that’s all you need.
