The Testimony of A Life

As many of you know,  my daughter and I just returned from a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. In preparation for the trip, we each needed to prepare our testimony. My daughter sent me the rough draft of hers about a month ago and the first sentence of her testimony has been on my mind ever since. She started by saying, "I feel like I am in the middle of my testimony."

That sentence continues to reverberate in my mind. I wonder, shouldn't we all be saying that about our testimony? Shouldn't we always be smack-dab in the middle of it?

 

The testimony of a life doesn't only involve the incident that made us decide to accept Jesus. It should be an on-going tale, with new chapters being added of what God is teaching us and how we are growing and changing. It should be a story of becoming more and more like Jesus. A story of him building character in us and pruning away anything not pleasing to Him.

 

I was reminded of the story of the little boy who fell out of bed. When his parents rushed in after hearing the thud and asked what had happened, he answered, "I guess I stayed too close to where I got in."

 

I have lived too many years not adding one sentence to my testimony. Years where I was trying to find meaning and contentment in the things of this world. Pursuing my own version of what the perfect life would feel like and look like. What I found was heartbreak and discontent. I never stopped loving Jesus during that time and I never stopped being a Christian. I was just foolish enough to stay "too close to where I got into" my faith. 

 

I'm so grateful that we serve a patient God. He knew I would eventually get it through my hard head that the only story of my life that I would be proud of is one where He is the main character, not me. I want my story to be His story.

 

How about you?

 

There is a new year ahead and for as many days as God gives us breath, let's decide to add new experiences with Jesus to our testimony. It really is a choice.
 

Philippians 3:12-14 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.