11/23/13
The Power of Testimony
Testimony, by definition, is a declaration by a witness, evidence in support of a fact, proof, or a
public declaration regarding a religious experience. We see our personal testimony as our
personal story relating to how God has captured our hearts and transformed our lives. We
understand there to be at least a three-fold purpose or usage of our testimony. One, it will be
useful in sharing with other people about what God has done in our lives. We believe God
orchestrates intersections and encounters with people perfectly ready to hear only our story for
their benefit. He doesn't make inappropriate or unfruitful matches. He has planned moments
where only our story will be the perfect picture for the situation at hand. He doesn't want us to
guess or make up stories that aren't truly ours. He just wants us to tell our stories and know that
they are perfectly good enough for Him to use for someone else's benefit. We must remember
there is a lot more going on behind the scenes that what first appears. We must also fully
believe in the power of our testimony. God can use our personal story to impact others. Our
story is no accident. It has a powerful purpose, thus, we should not be ashamed of it. Instead,
we should praise God for being the author of our story and trust Him to use it for reaching His
people.
Secondly, our testimony is for our defense. When we are in the dark and all alone, turning
inward from pain, and under attack from Satan himself, we can pull out our written testimony,
and read it out loud, saying, "I don't know why this or that is happening and I don't know how
this or that is going to turn out, but I know this testimony to be fact. It is proof of God's
existence. It is proof of His activity and presence in my life." It will be a shield of truth that we
can hold up against the stress of temptation and fear. It will be something solid to hold onto. It
will be a foundation to stand on.
Thirdly, our testimony is used as an offensive tactic. It will be a foundation of thankfulness for
what The Lord has done in our lives. We can look at the story and be thankful for all He's done
for us. It will represent us discovering His great love for us. It will remind us that He never
leaves us. It will be our praise to Him, celebrating freedom from our past and discovering our
good future. It will signify our devotion to Him. It will be a part of HisStory He is writing. It
draws us back to Him again and again. It automatically and supernaturally connects us to Him.
Nothing can take this story away from us, for we absolutely know it to be true. It is power to
bring us closer in relationship with Him.
The power of testimony is the first of a series of topics to study relating to offensive and
defensive spiritual tactics. We will be using the trend of the Christmas tradition to springboard
our study. We will consider all of the things we want to give The Lord this Christmas. We will
consider all the things we want to receive from The Lord. The two lists should intertwine and
represent a strong, reciprocal relationship that incorporates offensive and defensive tactics. It's
X's and O's, as represented in football game plans. We immediately recognize the irony of the
paradigm where, somehow our gift to The Lord is to receive Him and all He offers, including His
character. May it be a very special holiday season that inspires us to live in the Christmas spirit
all the year long.
