Growing up in church, we used to have a testimony service. As I look back on some of those moments, it brings a smile to my face and a little humor. The humor is not because of the testimony, but because everyone typically started their testimony the same way. The congregant would stand up and say something to this effect.

“First giving honor to God, who is the head of my life. Also, to the pastor, first lady, all the ministers, deacons, mothers, missionaries, saints, friends & visitors. I am so glad to be in the house of the Lord today. I want to thank God today for saving me…”

I know some of you are smiling right now because this brings you back to testimony service at your church. After this standard introduction, the person testifying would then proceed with their testimony. For those who are familiar with this, I know exactly what type of church you grew up in, but we will keep that to ourselves. If none of this is familiar, then clearly you didn’t go to the same type of church I did.

While we don’t do testimony service like that anymore, testimonies are necessary and should be welcome in the church. This brings me to ask you, what is your testimony? Everyone has a testimony and once you recognize this, you will realize it is a powerful way of telling others what God has done in your life.

What Does Testimony Mean?

The word testimony derives from the Latin word meaning to bear witness. There are two contexts where the word testimony can be used.

Testimony in a legal sense

In a court of law or a legal proceeding, testimony refers to a formal statement or declaration given by a person under oath. When testifying, that person shares their knowledge, experiences, observations, or opinions related to a specific event, situation, or topic. Testimony is used to help establish facts, clarify information, or present evidence in a legal context.

Testimony in a spiritual sense

In a spiritual context, a testimony is a personal account of what God has done in your life. It will include your experiences or transformations. When done properly, your testimony should leave people in awe of who God is. Testimonies should never point people to you but should always point people to Christ and bring glory and honor to his name.

What Is Your Testimony?

Based on the definition, your testimony is your eyewitness account of what God has done for you. The first thing you must recognize is that everyone has a testimony. Sometimes in church there is a tendency to fall in love with the most dramatic testimonies. The person who was deeply involved in some type of sin and God rescued them from it. Maybe the person who was in the most desperate of situations and God delivered them.

While these testimonies are exciting to hear, everyone will not have a testimony like that. However, everyone has a testimony, even if it doesn’t feel as dramatic.

The greatest testimony you have is your journey to salvation. Whatever path you took that led you to receiving Jesus Christ as your personal savior is worth sharing. You can bear witness to God’s saving grace, his love, and his mercy. Even though you may not have been out there doing “crazy” things, you were a sinner, nonetheless. Yet you found forgiveness and salvation in Jesus. That is your testimony, and trust me there are many who need to hear it.

It's also important to remember that your testimony does not stop at salvation.

Your testimony should go beyond salvation, because salvation is not the only thing God does for you. You may have stories of healing, of God providing, of God helping, or of God giving you peace in a difficult situation. Whatever it is, that is your testimony. When you take a moment to think about it, you can come up with a long list of things God has done in your life. You are a witness to them and, therefore, they are all part of your testimony.

4 Important Truths about Your Testimony

1. Your Testimony Should Be Remembered

When the Israelites were preparing to cross the Jordan River to enter the promised land, they ran into a problem. The Jordan River was in flood stage. However, when the feet of the priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant reached the water’s edge, the water stopped flowing from upstream. This allowed the entire nation of Israel to cross the Jordan on dry ground. Before the waters of the Jordan started flowing again, Joshua appointed twelve men, one from each tribe, to pickup a stone from the middle of the river. This stone would forever be a reminder that God stopped the flow of the Jordan River so the Israelites could cross.

This became the testimony of the people of Israel. They could bear witness to this event. They marked this event with a stone and each time they that saw stone, they remembered what God had done. You don’t always need a stone, but you should find a way to remember the things God has done for you. This could mean writing it in a journal or maybe even recording a voice note or video. This is especially critical when life gets challenging. Having that reminder can help you remember that if he did it before, he can do it again.

2. Your Testimony Should Be Shared

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts” (Psalm 105:1-2).

It is not enough just to remember your testimony; you need to share it. Let me say this loud and clear. Your testimony is not just for you, it is meant for others to hear. The directive from the Psalms is to make known what God has done and to tell of all his wonderful acts. Both things sound like testifying to me. When you think of all the Lord has done, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with someone else. The next two reasons will help you understand why.

3. Your Testimony Brings Encouragement

One significant reason you need to share your testimony is because it can encourage someone else. Chances are, what you are experiencing may be similar to what someone else is going through. When they hear of how God worked in your situation, it can encourage them. It helps them to know they are not the only one, and it encourages them to keep trusting God.

4. Your Testimony Builds Faith

Finally, your testimony can help build someone else’s faith. For this to work though, we must be careful to tell the entire story. Often, we like to leave out certain aspects of our testimony, maybe because they may not make us look good. I would say if you can share it all, then do that. With your testimony, you never know which part of your story will be the part to build someone’s faith. So don’t be afraid to share the not-so-good parts.

Let people know when you were nervous, scared, or made a poor decision. This points even more powerfully to God’s faithfulness, knowing he still helps us even when we don’t have it all together.

So, What Is Your Testimony?

Whatever your testimony is today, take a moment and write it down to remind yourself. Then pray and ask God for an opportunity to share it so you can encourage someone else. Remember, we all have a testimony, and we bring honor to God’s name when we share them. Lastly, if you have no one to share your testimony with, then share it with me. I love to hear the wonderful things God is doing in other people’s lives.

Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Klaus Vedfelt