Testimonies are our truest experiences about how Jesus influenced our lives. Testimonies are powerful tools used to increase the faith of so many other people. It goes a long way to reignite the faith of people who may have lost hope or who are going through difficult times in their lives. People today tend to be more open to authentic, personal stories of faith than to mere teachings and ideas about faith, as such some people have twisted the meaning of true testimony and have found a way to make it more soothing and self-gratifying. Through my studies, I have discovered three types of testimonies which I have outlined below:
A. Victim Testimony: This type of testimony usually comes from a place of hurt and jaded experiences. It comes with so many questions such as “Why me?” or “What did I do to deserve this?” and so on. It’s always about the me factor and this defeats the entire definition of testimony because testimony should be about God and His mighty saving power. When you make it all about yourself and start asking the wrong questions, then it is a clear sign that it is not in alignment with true testimony.
B. Boasting Testimony: This is the opposite of victim testimony because in this case, you are trying to get the spotlight. We have established that testimonies are tools that showcase the glory and power of God so when you shift focus from giving glory to actually gratifying yourself, then you have missed out on being a true testifier. The thing about this type of testimony is that it comes with falsification and manipulation, so as to make the moment look more epic and get people to respect you instead of giving glory to God. When a child of God boasts about achievements, the person is indirectly saying that “God, I did this all by myself” and this singular deed defeats the whole essence of testimony.
C. True Testimony: This is the true self-revelation of the nature of God in your life. It is not you talking about yourself or what you have; it is about you recognizing that if it had not been for God, you would have been consumed by all the trials and tribulations that arose. It is understanding that even though the situation may not be great, it could have been a lot worse but God is the reason why it isn’t so. This kind of testimony uplifts the spirit of others when they listen to it. You take yourself out of the picture completely just
like Job did in celebrating the goodness and beauty of God.
In conclusion, it is important to know that our testimonies are important and they matter to God, and He knows exactly what you may be going through and what’s to come. Through our greatest pain we produce our greatest salvation, so instead of a perspective of complaining and feeling bad, give thanks and trust that God will take care of you. {eoa}
From abandonment to abuse, family deceptions, untimely deaths, drugs and alcohol, professional athlete Steven Benedict was confronted with more obstacles before the age of 28 than the majority of people face in a lifetime. Despite the hardships, Steven applied what he learned on the track to remain focused on the finish line. His rules for running the race translate to almost every industry, person and circumstance, and his story is a reminder to all who hear it that as long as you still have breath in your lungs, your race can still be won. Outside of track and field, Steven has made his mark in over 50 publications appearing in full features, covers and written pieces. His athletic prowess has put him at the forefront of industries speaking on leadership, corporate productivity, foster care reformation, social emotional awareness and human optimization.
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