for thought and meditation
"For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
—1 Corinthians 2:2
What is a personal testimony? It is simply your story of how you came to Christ.
Paul was a great orator and communicator, not to mention that he was the apostle Paul. But in almost every instance in Scripture when he was standing before a nonbeliever, Paul began with his personal testimony.
Every story is valid, by the way. I have heard some crazy testimonies, as I am sure you have. But I can tell you your testimony without even knowing you. Once you were lost. Now you are found. Once you were headed to Hell, but now you’re going to Heaven. That is your testimony. Maybe you have lived a moral life. You’ve worked hard. But you realized one day that you needed Jesus. That is a testimony.
However, the power is not in your story; the power is in the story of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen from the dead. That is why Paul said, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Sometimes in our attempt to build a bridge to people, to cross over, we don’t bring the cross over. Get to the cross.
I once had the opportunity to ask Billy Graham this question: “After all of these years of preaching, what would you say you should preach on more?”
Without missing a beat, he said, “I would preach more on the cross of Christ and the blood, because that is where the power is.” I never forgot that.
When you share your testimony, share it in a way that honors the Lord. When you tell your story, never boast of what of you gave up to follow Christ; rather, boast about what He gave up for you. Always take them to His story
