“Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— those He redeemed from the hand of the foe, those He gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.” (Psa. 107:2-3)

As Christians, telling our story is a powerful tool that the Lord has given us to encourage, edify, and evangelize. When we share with others what God has done in our lives, we bear witness to His goodness and faithfulness.

Sometimes we overstate and romanticize what “sharing our testimony” means, and it keeps Christians from doing so. Too often we picture it as walking up to the front of a church and spilling our life story in front of an entire congregation; or we imagine it as sitting with an individual or group of people and recapping the full account of how God brought us from being a heinous sinner living a horrific immoral life, to a person that can’t even bear saying a moderate curse word under our breath.

While these are definitely examples of sharing testimony, these are also more of the extraordinary scenarios that don’t happen too often, and certainly not every day. So how can we share testimony and tell stories of God’s goodness regularly?

Sharing testimony can be as simple as talking about your day at the family dinner table, and recounting a way that you saw God move or speak to you. It can be as casual as speaking to your wife or child before bed, recapping a great interaction, blessing, or circumstance that came from the Lord. It can be as easy as telling a friend, coworker, or neighbor that you feel blessed today, this week, or recently, because of something that God did or provided. Or maybe it’s sharing that you’re NOT having a very good week, but you’re still thanking God for the peace and strength in your circumstance.

Making small mentions of our walk with the Lord, even if it’s in a subtle, passing statement, opens up space for the Holy Spirit to move in our conversations with others. When we’re tuned into the Spirit, those subtle comments may lead to a deeper discussion with that person, and we can use discernment from God to go as deep as He would want us to go. It’s all about being obedient enough to mention Him, and then letting His Spirit do the rest. It may not always lead to extended conversations, but at the very least we’ll be planting seeds— no matter how big or small.

The recent Psalms I’ve read continue to challenge us to “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, his steadfast love endures forever!” So let the redeemed, that’s us, tell our story!

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16)

[From November 9, 2018]