What Is Your Story

This past Sunday was a wonderful day at church! If you were here (or watched online), hopefully you felt the same way. For many of us, it was a time to see old friends and family, to fellowship, to make new acquaintances, and to share a delicious meal together. But more than that, it was a time to hear the testimony of Shizuka and Paul Mitsuhashi, and to praise the Lord for what He has done in healing Shizuka, and the journey He has brought them through (which continues to this day). I appreciate how they shared their story, its ups and downs, honestly and without pretension, not hiding how difficult it has been for them.

We often think of testimony as the story of how someone comes to faith in Christ but it can also be the telling of a specific event or series of events in one's life, as it was for Shizuka and Paul, in which God did something worth sharing. I believe in the course of our lives, God gives each of us testimonies to share. They may not be as dramatic as Shizuka and Paul's for God works differently in each of our lives but we all have a story to tell about how God has worked. Because God works intimately in the believer's life. What is your story? I know some of you have come to faith because God intervened in your life in a unique way or you grew closer to Him because of the encouragement of a close friend or family member. For some, God has demonstrated His love and care for you during a time of need. In John 4 (verses 4-42), scripture tells us about a Samaritan woman whose life was changed because of an encounter with Jesus at a well. Some would say it was a chance encounter but I think we know Jesus knew exactly where He was and what would happen. In the course of their conversation, Jesus explains that He knows about her past, offers her living water, and reveals to her that He is the Messiah, the Christ. It's a beautiful story of redemption which I'm sure she didn't expect when she went to draw water that day. Maybe God has worked that way in your life, in a completely unexpected fashion. After the conversation, it says the woman rushed back to town and told the people all that had happened. In other words, she gave testimony to what God had done. In verse 39, it says “many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman's testimony.”

Testimony, sharing your story with others, is a powerful tool in growing your faith, witnessing to others, and glorifying God. I want to encourage you to share your testimonies, your stories with others. Some of you already do this. You're good at seeing what God has done and sharing those things in your life. If you're like me though, it may not come as natural. Sometimes it's hard to see with eyes of faith that God is doing something in your life. But if you are His, know that He is. Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” As with the woman at the well, Jesus is concerned about the details of our lives and has plans for us. Our God is intimate.

Sharing your testimony not only solidifies what God has done in your life but it helps others to grasp what God can do in theirs. It is a way that you can impart hope and encouragement to others. But again, if you're like me, another reason you may not feel comfortable sharing your stories with others is you don't like to talk about yourself. It's not what you normally do or how you grew up. However, while testimony is a story that God has given to each of us, we must remember that ultimately it's about Him. It's about what God has done, not what we have done. And we are to share with others what He has done…see the testimony of the Samaritan woman at the well…see Shizuka and Paul's testimony. God is great and greatly to be praised! Let us not deprive others of hearing what He has done and what He is doing in our lives.

God bless your week!

Pastor Darren