“Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. (Mark 5:19-20, ESV).
These are the words Jesus spoke to the man we recognize by the name Legion. The Lord had delivered him from demons, setting him free from a life of bondage and torment. Later, the man followed Jesus back to the ship and asked if he could stay with Him. Instead of granting the man’s request, the Lord instructed him to go back home.
Was the Lord unfair in refusing the man’s request? After all, he only wanted to be with the One who had done so much for him. But no. Jesus knew that the man’s greatest power was in his testimony. Only the man himself could effectively tell others about what God had done in his life. They could see the transformation with their own eyes.
John 4 tells of a time when Jesus chose to travel through Samaria, a route most Jews avoided. As He sat resting by the well at Sychar, the Lord encountered a woman with a cloudy past. No doubt shame or embarrassment was why she came at midday to draw water instead of when the other women from town would typically come. Jesus knew her background, but He offered hope for a life that was marred by sin. She immediately ran into town to tell others about the Man she met—the Man who knew her past but offered her a brighter future.
“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, ESV).
Many of us desire to be a witness for the Lord, but we often feel inadequate. We worry that we can’t quote passages of Scripture. Or we might mix up who’s who in the Bible. We might forget where that key verse is found or stumble over our words. Soon, because we fear “making a mess” of it all, we remain silent. Our fear of failure robs us of an opportunity to share our spiritual journey with others.
We are our own harshest critic of our ability to witness. Really, what the Lord asks us to do is quite simple. Just as He told the man called Legion, “Tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”
Telling your own story of God’s saving power is the most effective and convincing testimony we can offer. We can begin with a simple question, such as, “Would you be interested in hearing a little about my spiritual journey?” If they agree, you can begin from there.
Keep your testimony short and simple. (Explicit details aren’t needed.) Tell about God’s mercy and forgiveness in your life. Some we meet may feel they are “too sinful” or have “gone too far” to be saved. Perhaps you once felt that same way. Remind them that we have “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), Then, briefly explain God’s plan for salvation.
God wants us to share our story. We can tell it better than anyone else, and it’s powerful. We must never let fear keep us from telling of God’s mercy in our life. Many that we meet are in desperate need of the hope we have found in serving the Lord.
‘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,” (I Peter 3:15, ESV)
Steps in Sharing Your Story:
- Be prepared. Write out your story and practice telling it.
- Ask permission to share your story.
- Be clear and concise. Keep it to about 3-4 minutes.
- Tell your “before” and “after.”
- Emphasize God’s mercy and forgiveness.
- Always include the plan of salvation.
- Ask questions that will lead them to share their story.
- Show love, not condemnation.
- When possible, follow up with them.
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