Share Your Testimony, Tell People What Jesus Has Done For You
Many of us have heard especially from our families "It is in the past, leave it in the past!" "Get over it!" "Don't ever bring that up again!" Most people who say things like that don't want to face the sins they committed against the person they sinned against. Most of them never gave the person they sinned against any form of closure for the sins they committed against them such as "I am sorry for what was done to you and how it has effected you!", which can leave those sins to remain an issue. When an apology is given and repentance is shown, that sin should no longer remain as an issue, but be forgiven. God forgives us when we repent, so we should also forgive others and not let it hang over them.
It boils down to there being 2 ways of bringing up our past. We bring up our past as an issue, or we bring up our past as a testimony of how God has worked in our lives and delivered us from the bonds of our past. If our past is an issue, God wants us to bring it to Him, and He will turn the issue into a testimony.
Once God has worked through our past, whether it would be abuse, bullying or sexual assault, He no longer wants us to bring it up as an issue, but He wants us to bring it up as a testimony of what Jesus has done to deliver us from that past. Without sharing that testimony, it is impossible to be a witness for Jesus. It is also impossible to have any form of ministry. It is impossible to be used by God without a testimony.
Let's look at Deuteronomy 4. See especially verse 9 where it says "Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, LEST YOU FORGET THE THINGS YOUR EYES HAVE SEEN, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. AND TEACH THEM TO YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN."
"The things your eyes have seen" is referring to the miracles of God. You are remembering the miracles of God by seeing what your past was like and seeing God's deliverance from it. The Israelites remembered the cruel slavery they experienced in Egypt, and they remembered how God delivered them by splitting the Red Sea. They were told NOT TO FORGET. They were told to SHARE their experience and SHARE what God has done for them. THEY WERE NOT TOLD TO HIDE IT. God may have delivered us from the bonds of abuse, bullying or sexual assault we may have experienced. Our families don't want us to share that. They want us to hide it because they don't want their sins exposed due to their unrepentance. If we listen to our families and hide our testimony, we are being disobedient to God. Our families trying to manipulate us to hide it, they are sinning against God and sinning against us by doing so. This shows that they are unrepentant of their part of the sins they committed against us. I have a good discerning pastor who would kick those unrepentant people out of the church and not welcome them back until they have proven repentance. It gets worse when they know that they are not welcome to that church, so they try to talk you into leaving that church and bash the pastor to everyone they know.
Don't let your families or those who sinned against you keep you from sharing your testimony. Your testimony is your witness for Jesus. Your testimony can lead many to Jesus. Your testimony can change people's lives. Your testimony can save lives. Your testimony gives people hope.
Don't be ashamed of your testimony. Don't be afraid to share your testimony. What God does to deliver you is powerful. What God has done for me was very powerful. God works miracles. Your testimony is a miracle. Your testimony is very powerful. Without your testimony, you can't be a witness for Jesus. Without your testimony, you can't have a ministry. Without your testimony, you can't give anyone hope. Without your testimony, you can't encourage anyone. Your testimony will bring much encouragement and healing to many people.
If you are struggling with sharing your testimony, I will pray for you. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You can do it.
Rodney Calmes
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