Dr. Charles Stanley
Read | Psalm 78:1-7
What is a testimony? Some believers think that it’s just a brief account of the way God has worked in their life. While that may be true, our testimony is much more than simply a short story.
One important aspect of our testimony is our character, which should include a spirit of obedience. Do we follow God’s instruction on occasion but ignore Him the rest of the time? An obedient spirit follows His guidance, no matter what. At times our actions may outwardly display obedience, but nobody except God knows what lies within our heart. He sees our true character, and it should line up with the story we tell others to glorify Him.
Our conduct—in other words, what we do—is another facet of our testimony. If what we say conflicts with our behavior, then we cloud our witness, and unbelievers may consider us hypocritical or doubt the genuineness of our faith. The way we act should confirm who we are in Christ.
Finally, a third part of our testimony is our conversation. As Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” This gives us an opportunity to tell others what God is doing in our lives. Our words can be significant to an unbeliever who doubts the existence of God or the divinity of Christ.
When our character, conduct, and conversation fail to match who we are in Christ, we hamper our ability to reach others with the gospel. A testimony can make the difference between doubt and faith in the life of an unbeliever. How authentic is your personal testimony?
