Testimony. | A Weekly Word 2022
There is power in sharing our testimony. The power to encourage others, the power to glorify God, and beyond that, the power to heal ourselves. Sharing our testimony frees us, it helps us to make the shift in mindset from denial to acceptance, victim to overcomer, and from siloed to supported.
We were created for connection. Still, societal norms – especially in communities of color – teach us that traumatic and adverse experiences should not be shared with others, no matter the outcome. These cultural norms create psychological and emotional barriers that prevent us from being able to connect with others. What’s more, they build up feelings of shame and isolation further pushing us into secrecy and seclusion. The power of our testimony, however, frees us from the bondage of shame through vulnerability and truth.
We are commanded in Matthew 22:36-40 to first love God, and honor Him with all that we have. And then, similarly, we are called to love and honor others as we do ourselves. When you share your testimony as an act of love, it creates a trifecta of glory, grace, and goodness – for God, ourselves, and for others.
Our story glorifies God. Our lives are not our own, and our testimonies allow God to work through us. Our stories of overcoming and redemption illustrate just how great God is. When we share what He has brought us through, others can see that God is bigger than even seemingly impossible situations and insurmountable odds. It allows us to become a living witness to what hope in God’s faithfulness can produce.
Our story heals us. Sharing our testimony provides a release for the person who is sharing. When we share our truth with others and they respond with compassion, or empathy, it alleviates feelings of shame and self doubt. Sharing our testimony gives purpose to our pain. Finding meaning in life’s challenges heals, frees, and restores us.
Our story helps others. Sharing our stories can be the catalyst for healing in someone else’s life, as well. The emotional identification that happens when you hear someone else tell a similar story helps us to connect in deep and meaningful ways. We begin to see that we are whole and worthy of belonging. It gives us hope that we too can heal, share, and encourage others through our suffering, creating a ripple effect of goodness and grace.
Passage
Come and hear, all you who believe in God, and I will tell you what he has done for my soul.
Psalm 66:16
Prayer
God, thank you for the opportunity to share and grow from my life experiences. Thank you for the purpose in my pain. Thank you, Lord, for being a redeemer and for giving meaning to trauma and adversity. Help me to have the courage to share your goodness through my testimony. Help me to heal and to encourage others to do the same through my living witness. Help me to be careful to glorify you for what you have done for me. And allow me to extend grace for others to do the same. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Practice
This week, I will consider what part of my life story might give God glory. I will commit to sharing that story with someone else as a means to glorify God, heal myself, and help someone else.