An Excerpt From Memorial Stones Volume 2

 The Power of Your Testimony

My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.  (Psalm 71:15. KJV)

 

A testimony is a powerful weapon. The word ‘testimony’ is derived from the Latin testis, which means ‘witness’. According to merrionwebster.com, witness means – attestation of a fact or event; able to ascertain the veracity of such fact or event.

In a court of law, the outcome of the case is heavily dependent on the word of witnesses during a trial. A testimony establishes a truth which can be relied on as it is the first-hand experience of an event. This is supported by the Jamaican saying, ‘hearsay can’t go a law’ (Hearsay cannot be used as evidence in a court of law).

As it is in the court of law, so it is in the life of a believer. Sharing your testimony is a very important habit for every Christian to develop, one which should be encouraged as there are many benefits which can redound from doing so. Those of us who grew up in church can recall those stirring testimony nights at church where believers outlined dire situations that they had been through and how God, in the nick of time, came through on their behalf. It was always a source of encouragement which caused us to ponder on the goodness of God.

One of the benefits of sharing your testimony is that it can promote hope and encouragement in others. When persons hear your story and are able to identify with your struggles, it helps them to know that they are not alone. Often times, in our struggles, we feel all alone and wrongly think that we are the only one who is going through, or have gone through the situation. But that is a lie. There is nothing new under the sun and every experience that we have, has been experienced by someone before us or even at the same time with us. The fact that we do not know does not mean that it is not so. When a testimony is shared, knowledge comes, and with it, the realization that if someone else has gone through the same situation and has overcome, then it is highly likely that we too can overcome.  This builds our hope and expectation for things to work out in the long run.

A powerful example of this is Unshackled!, the award-winning radio drama series from Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago, which tells the true-life testimonies of individuals from all walks of life who have been transformed by the power of God. Many of these persons found themselves in hopeless and desperate situations ranging from drug addiction, crime and violence, imprisonment and abuse, to name a few. Many had lost hope and had fallen into despair, but God, in his mercy, reached down and touched them, bringing a dramatic and miraculous turnaround in their circumstances. Their testimonies have paved the way for the transformation of many lives after them.

Sharing a testimony leads to healing for both the shearer and those who hear it. Some of the experiences that we go through in life can often cause a sense of shame and embarrassment. It requires courage to open up, share and become vulnerable. Sharing our testimony involves the risk of being judged, criticized and rejected. This can be quite difficult to do but the rewards far outweigh what would have been lost if we had kept silent. When we testify we share our truth with others and more often than not, this leads to love, acceptance and compassion. This in turn fosters a sense of community and belonging, which promotes greater bonding and openness, the perfect space for individuals to grow and thrive.

The strategy of sharing one’s testimony has been successfully employed by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a recovery program for alcoholics, over the years. The power of one alcoholic sharing their experience with another has been the catalyst for the recovery of millions of people around the world from the vicious grip of alcoholic addiction.

Do you have a testimony? Don’t keep it to yourself. Share it. It is a powerful weapon. Your testimony could transform a life. Who knows, the testimony you share could make the difference between life and death for someone who is on the verge of suicide. It could be the key that unlocks someone’s prison, setting them free from bondages which have held them captive for years. Never underestimate the power of your testimony!

Memorial Stones Volume 2 is available from me by calling 876 807 9724 and on Amazon. See the link below. 

https://www.amazon.com/author/lonaisaacs