Welcome to part two of the series Because I Love Jesus More! In this series I’m exploring the ways in which we humble ourselves before God, submitting to His will and His plan for our lives, even when we think we know better!

Growing up in a Christian home with parents who were in full-time ministry (Campus Crusade for Christ now Power To Change), my family and I were used to sharing our stories. Testimony was an important part of how we expressed our relationship with Jesus Christ, and from an early age we were all taught how to effectively share the ways in which Jesus had touched our hearts and changed our lives, saving us from our sins by dying on the cross. And as we know, he did not stay there. He rose from the dead on the third day, ascending into heaven where he is now preparing a place for each one of us. Someday he will return to collect us and usher us home, and until that day, we are called to make our lives a moving prayer. 

There was always a comforting familiarity in the action of sharing testimony. Telling your story is an active thing; it is something you do, and you can see the results of it. How and where you do this varies from situation to situation and person to person, but the whys are always the same: to glorify God and to share the good news with others. Telling the story of how Jesus works in our lives is as old as our faith itself. It goes all the way back to Paul sharing his moment of truth on the road to Damascus, and adding my own story onto the centuries upon centuries of this tradition was always an honour and a comfort.

Even so, there have been many times in my life when I have been hesitant to share my story or talk about my faith because I was scared or embarrassed by it. In high school, it was sometimes challenging to be a Christian. Teenagers want to fit in with their peers above all else, and I was no exception! I know I did not live out my Chrisitan principles perfectly, or even very well at times. I allowed myself to be the center of my life, not Christ. It would be easy to look back on that time now and be upset with myself for losing sight of my values and beliefs, but that particular chapter is part of my story too. It’s part of my journey as a Christian, and that’s okay. It wouldn’t be a journey at all without those hills and valleys.   

We all have a story to share about how God has touched our lives, and each one of those stories is unique and valuable because it’s another colourful thread that weaves in and out of the beautiful, ancient tapestry that is our shared faith.  It’s essential to be able to tell these stories so that we can all learn from one another and then, as it says, in second 1 Peter 3:15: “ but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” 

During my time at Heritage College and Seminary I took a course called Great Women of the Christian Faith: A Survey of Church History and it ignited a spark within me that eventually developed into a great flame of passion for the importance of telling our stories. As Christian women we have been given unique roles and perspectives in God’s design. While at Heritage John 4, Jesus and the Woman of Samaria (the woman at the well) became one of favourite passages. Her story has resonated so much with me because of how she came to the well with her life story hidden deep within her likely unseen and unloved to unexpectedly meeting Jesus, but it wasn’t unexpected to him. He knew her story, her hardships and triumphs. and the most beautiful part of this passage was a new story, her testimony! She met Christ! It changed her.

 ^“So the woman left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?” (John 4:28-29)

 ^“Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” (v.39) 

 We have very powerful, important women through the Bible who ended up being cornerstones of faith. Names and stories echo down to this day: Sarah. Rebecca. Ruth. Rachel. Leah. Miriam. Rahab. Esther. Remembering their lives can give courage to those of us who are also called to deliver testimony, they have for me.

And courage is so important! Sharing your story requires radical vulnerability, and you never quite know how it is going to be received. In grad school, the two classes I feared the most were Evangelism and Speaking and Teaching. I was uncomfortable because I knew that both of these classes would require me to share my faith and my story in front of people I didn’t know, with the added consideration that it would also be graded. 

It took me out of my comfort zone very quickly, and even though I had shared my story before, this time I had to rely on Christ and prayer from others in order to get through. I didn’t believe I was going to make it. Looking back now and reflecting on that experience, I realize that the Lord was purposefully placing me out of my comfort zone so that I would know what it was like to rely entirely on Him. I can see Jesus was working in me through that experience, because I could not do it on my strength alone.  

The journey to share my testimony has been humbling, challenging, emotional, taxing, and also refining. Though uncomfortable at first, ultimately both of these courses prepared me for the honour of being able to share my story in unique and unexpected places.  It was very freeing to allow Him to work through me, and remember that ultimately it has nothing to do with me. It’s all about Him, and about those biblical women whose legacies we have all inherited and are now privileged to add ours to.  

Because I love Jesus more, I have to share my story, no matter how much discomfort I may feel about it sometimes. I owe it to him to share the reason for my joy, the reason for my peace, because Jesus is worth it and because I love Jesus. When I remember that it’s not about me and how I feel, perspective follows. If God calls you to share your story, He will equip you to do so, and you can trust Him with that. It still takes work to get there, it doesn’t automatically happen. In order to deliver effective testimony, we need to be in the Word. We need to be in prayer and have others surround us in prayer. And we need to tell ourselves, every time: because I love Jesus more, I will share my story. 

Have you ever had the opportunity to share your faith journey? 

 

Link to Part One of series here!