Testimony Reflects Our History – His Story in Us

“That’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it!” These words were introduced to popular culture with a song by country music artist Collin Raye in 1993. Since then, I’ve heard numerous people use it; I’ve occasionally utilized it myself. But it begs the question: What is your story?

 

I was part of a small group recently talking about how to prepare a personal testimony. In case you’re not sure what a testimony is, it’s your unique story of how you encountered Jesus Christ – and the difference He’s made in your life since then. 

 

There’s a wonderful scene in “The Chosen,” the film series on the life of Jesus and His followers. In one of its first episodes, a radically changed Mary Magdalene sums up very succinctly what a testimony is: “I was one way and now I am completely different. And the thing that happened in between was Him.”

 

So, if you’re a follower of Christ – if you have been “born again,” as Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3:3 – you’ve got a testimony to share with others, whether you realize it or not. Testimonies come in all shapes and sizes, some with high degrees of drama and some with very little. But for every one of us who knows Jesus, it’s part of our history – or we might say, His story at work in us.

 

One of the strengths of a testimony is it communicates the truth of God’s grace and mercy in a person’s life, doing so in the form of a genuine story. People might dispute one’s theology and spiritual beliefs, but they can’t argue with someone’s account of real-life experience.

 

Personal testimony was one method the apostles and first-century believers employed to communicate Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ. Telling what He had done in their lives – how they at one time had been one way, became something very different, and that He had been the difference-maker. 

 

We find excellent examples in Acts 22 and again in chapter 26, where the apostle Paul, being held prisoner by Roman officials, first told a large crowd and then Roman King Agrippa about his unexpected, life-changing encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. 

 

Paul began by describing his “before,” citing his pedigree as a devout Pharisee and religious leader, then known by the name of Saul. He noted, “I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth…. I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them…. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them” (Acts 26:9-11). A proud antagonist for sure.

 

He proceeded to tell of his divine encounter with Christ while traveling to Damascus to persecute more Christians there. A blazingly bright light from heaven suddenly surrounded him and his companions, and Paul heard a voice asking, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads…. I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 26:1415). In other words, “Saul, you’re engaged in an exercise of futility. You’re no match for Me.”

 

Paul’s story didn’t end there. He explained how the Lord had transformed him from a one-time enemy of Christ followers to being zealous and outspoken as one of them, attesting to what Jesus taught and what He had done, ultimately dying as the once-and-for-all sacrifice to redeem people from the penalty for sin. 

 

His personal account was so persuasive that Agrippa commented, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” To which Paul replied, “Short time or long – I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become as I am, except for these chains” (Acts 26:28).

 

This brief biblical account gives the basic outline for an effective testimony of one’s faith in Jesus – what one’s life was like before Christ, how the individual met and committed his or her life to Him, and how He’s worked in their life since then. 

 

However, there are two other significant elements to consider. First, Paul was invited by Agrippa to tell his story. In a New Testament letter, another apostle, Peter, addressed this: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to live the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). The door had been opened for Paul to speak about his faith.

 

The second is reflected in how he closed his testimony. Paul wasn’t seeking to win an argument or a debate; his sole desire was for Agrippa and all who heard him to enjoy the same life-transforming type of experience that had happened in his life.

 

It’s really not very complicated. In essence, all we need to tell others is what Mary Magdalene described in “The Chosen”: “I was one way and now I am completely different. And the thing that happened in between was Him.” Putting it another way, as a friend of mine used to say, it's “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”