A Simple Testimony

     Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a family retreat.  I was looking forward to it because some of my close friends were going to be there and I was also going to get the opportunity to meet other young ladies.  I remember getting a cup, (probably tea with milk J), and sitting down at one table where several other girls were sitting and talking.

    Since I was at the end of the table, I wasn’t a big part of the conversation; in fact, the conversation required very little input from me at all.  I was not at all perturbed by it, and was content to listen and sip from my cup of tea.  My hands wrapped around the smooth, steamy cup.  I was enjoying the warmth as I looked out a window, watching the cool afternoon become foggy.

     It wasn’t long before a young girl entered the room and sat across from me.  For a little while she listened to the conversation, but she was not content merely to listen.  It wasn’t long before she turned to me and introduced herself.  I smiled and briefly introduced myself.  We talked about small things for several minutes and finally she leaned forward and posed a question.  “So… what is your testimony?”

     I was at a momentarily loss for words.  Never before in all my 22 years of life had I ever been asked for my testimony.  What testimony?  I had been born in a family who had always gone to church and taught Biblical standards.  I had been home schooled since preschool all the way to my senior year by my mom.  In short, I was raised in church and given a strong foundation; the bottom line was that I had never gone out or experienced worldly things. 

    Groping for something and wanting to stall for sufficient time to come up with something, I asked, “Which part?”  All throughout my life I had heard testimonies, and I will be honest to say that mine was different from the majority.  Yes, I had heard them, but I had never formally given one, especially mine.

    She smiled at me and shrugged her shoulders, “How you became a Christian or how your walk with the Lord was established…Whatever you want to tell me.”

    I relaxed; this was going to be a little easier now that she had narrowed down the topic.  Still, I doubted I had anything interesting to say.  To me, testimonies are some of the most beautiful and precious gifts the Lord can give us.  I had always enjoyed listening to other people’s testimonies, how God saved them from a crippling car accident and restored their healing; how God healed them from arthritis; how God protected them from drugs; etc. I am sure you know what I mean.

     It occurred to me just then, that perhaps many youth who have been raised in church felt the same way: that their testimony really wasn’t of much interest. Why does someone, who has never been raised in the world or dabbled in its evil feel like they have a lesser testimony than someone who did?  Yes. God saved us, and He also saved them.  It doesn’t matter how “big” or how “little” your sin is, He died on the cross to cleanse us from it.

    All sin is, is unbelief in God’s Word.  Yes, there might be more or greater levels of sin in someone’s life than there is in another, but look at it this way.  How many lies do you have to tell to become a liar?  Only one.  You can tell one lie, or hundreds of them but it still makes you the same things: a liar.

    Talking to many other youth who have been raised in church their whole life, I found that many of them had the same questions:

·         When did my relationship with God actually start?

·         What exactly do I believe?

·         Do I believe what I believe because of my parents?

·         How could I experience God’s forgiveness in a greater sense unless I do something bad?

    I want to share with you my testimony.  It is very simple and many may think it small and insignificant.  I don’t and I’ll explain why, but first my testimony.

    I was born into a Message believing family.  Growing up, I knew all the Bible stories.  I memorized many passages of scripture, I could tell you what order the books of the Bible went in, how many books were in the Bible, and give a basic outline of each book.  My parents rarely missed a service and were adamant about living the Christian life.

     I was baptized before I reached the age of 12, and purposed to do good in my life.  There came a time though, that I had to ask myself what I believed and why I believed.  I will never say I questioned it, because I never doubted that the Bible or God existed or that they were true.  Basically, my question was: “Do I believe this because my parents believe this and because this is what I have been taught is right?” or “Do I believe this because of a personal conviction, a standard I hold to?”

    As a young teenager, I struggled with these questions and more.  At one point in my life, God’s love seemed conditional because I thought He would only love us if we did what He wanted.  It seemed difficult to please Him and nearly impossible to live a flawless life.

    I wanted to do good, I wanted to have a flawless life but I felt increasingly frustrated that I always came up short in my standards.  And if I fell short in my standards, how could I possibly hold to God’s?

    It took many tears, prayers, and some poor choices to realize something.  In man’s eye, I will probably never be flawless.  There will always be something I fall short in or that I don’t measure up to.  But am I judge by men?  Somehow, along the path I walked during my teenage years, I had forgotten that it is God not men with whom I need to be concerned with.  I need to view myself the way God views me.

    Does God view me as perfect?  I am sure He knows the finished product will be.  I am still clay being molded, and I will trust the hands of the Potter.  Here’s another thought: as long as I confess my sins and put them under the blood of Jesus, there is no sin or evidence of sin in my life.  It’s His blood that makes me perfect, more perfect that what I can be on my own.

    We can’t be good on our own.  In one respect it doesn’t matter if we have never drank, smoked, or stolen.  That alone doesn’t make us good.  Mark 10:18 says, “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.”  If there is none good but God, how can we be good if God is not in us?

    I finally made the commitment.  I had lived a Christian life the best I could: I went to church, paid my tithes and offerings, prayed, believed the Bible, all the things a good Christian would do; I lived it.  But it was time for something more, a bigger step.  Yes, it is good to live a Christian life, but you must believe it, you must make it yours, you must make it your own personal walk with the Lord.  It’s your choice, not your parents or siblings or pastor… yours.  It is something you want to do. 

     And so God found a permanent dwelling place in my heart.  My testimony is simple.  I never did drugs or went through any serious accidents.  I never suffered with serious health problems or struggled with addictions.  I strived to live a godly life ever since I had first learned there was a God and that He wanted us to do good.  At first, I only did it because that is how my parents raised me, but later, I did it because of a personal desire and commitment.

    Some may still ask, “How does that make your testimony special?”  I’ll answer it with a story.

    Once there were two glasses sitting in a cabinet.  Both meant to hold water and both were to be restored and filled.  One sat on the shelf and gathered dust, waiting and wanting to be filled.  The second glass sat next to it and decided that it couldn’t be valued and worthy of restoration unless it got dirty.  So the second glass allowed itself to be filled with dirt and weeds.  It wasn’t long before a wind came and it rolled into a pig pen where it got covered with slime, mud, and filth.

    The master of the house came to restore the glasses, to dust and polish them and make them perfectly new so that he could fill them.  He found the first in the cabinet and after wiping away the dust and cobwebs, he washed it and filled it with water.  The second he found in the pig pen, after retrieving it, he washed it and likewise filled it with water.  One might never know by looking at the two glasses what their past experiences were. With both cups perfectly cleaned, and filled, how could one ever say one was worth more than the other?

    Such is similar when a young person stays in church and protects their testimony, not wanting to mar it with things of the world; vs. a young person who feels they must do evil to experience God’s forgiveness and have an amazing testimony.

  But I believe there is something special about the young person who keeps their testimony, who holds to The Standard and never lets go, the ever faithful soldier.

    You don’t have to go out into the world or do something really wicked to be forgiven or have a breath taking testimony.  Romans 3: 23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”.  God will promised to forgive is you confessed and repented of your sins, no matter how great or how small.

    Yes, it may seem simple but definitely not insignificant when you stand to give your testimony and you say, “I lived my life for Christ.”  Simple and perhaps not as flashy as some but it is beautiful.  It is something to be forever cherished.

    I pray that God richly blesses the young people who have been raised in the Christian faith and are striving to keep their testimony pure.