When Sharing Your Testimony Leaves You Feeling Exposed…
With every post I publish, there are two fears that I must first defeat: Being called a fool, and mishandling Scripture. Many Christians publicly display their weaknesses and vulnerabilities on a variety of platforms. We share our testimonies as an offering of proof that Jesus Christ is the only Savior, Healer, Comforter, Teacher, and Lord. I absolutely love writing to encourage others in their walk with God, but if I may be candid, I must admit that it scares me.
As a relatively new Candid Gal and blogger, I find myself obsessed with and validated by the numbers, such as shares, tweets, likes, and comments; however, as a reader, I rarely do any of these things. A post may be so encouraging that I want to stand up and applaud. Others are so true that it’s all I can do to contain a silent tear or a burst of laughter. Many times, I don’t truly comprehend the impact of a post until days, weeks, or even months later. By then, all that I remember is “I read somewhere that…”, yet the writer’s wisdom comes back to me in perfect timing. Even though I seldom publicly react to a post, every writer on Candidly Christian has impacted my life and my walk with God in ways that you will never know.
God Is Looking For A Few Good Fools
God uses your testimony to shape mine, and so it is with every Christian who shares what He does in their life. Some people may very well call me a fool, but God loves to use the foolish to confound the wise. Jesus promised that those who follow His command to share our testimonies will be acknowledged before God. I imagine Jesus sitting next to the Father, and Jesus pokes God with His elbow and says, “Hey, Dad, have you seen what Victoria has been doing? She just loves Us and wants everyone to know it!” With this image, the fear of appearing a fool fades with renewed faith that God will use my words for His glory.
God uses your testimony to shape mine… even when you think you look like a fool. Click To TweetYou are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 6:14-16
Related Post: Fighting Fear with Prayer
Jesus Already Fixed Your Mistakes
As a recovering perfectionist, I also fear that I could screw this up and lead someone astray. Freedom from this fear comes with acknowledging and accepting it as an unavoidable reality. I’m not perfect, none of us are, and that’s the very reason we need Jesus every day. He knows my heart is sincere, and I know that He died to wash away my mistakes, so I can stand boldly before the Him and call him “Abba, Father.” When God sees us, He doesn’t see the mess we made; He sees His perfect Son. I am free to offer my testimony as a sacrifice from my heart, free of blemish.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and how correctly handles the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15
Trusting God To Use Your Testimony
One of the last commands Jesus gave the disciples before He ascended to the Father was to teach others, and He promised to be with us always. I remember this promise, and many more, with every post I submit. I always send my posts off with a prayer, even when the almighty “submit” button mocks me, daring me to be so bold. God’s purpose goes far beyond likes, shares, comments, or tweets. I know God is faithful to those who serve for His glory, so I rest in the promise that He will use my words for His purpose, in His timing.
To my fellow Candid Gals, and to all Christians who risk self-exposure in Jesus’ name – this post is for you. I pray that you may built up in the knowledge that you serve a God whose reach goes far beyond any social media platform.
How do God's promises help you serve Him better? Click To TweetSo What About You?
What challenges do you face as you share your testimony?
If you liked this blog post, keep your eyes open for our upcoming book, Candid Conversations, where Heather Hart, the founder of Candidly Christian, has partnered with 25 other Christian women. While each story shares a unique perspective, the prevailing theme is that we all struggle, but there is hope to be found in Jesus. Coming August 13th, 2018. Kindle edition now available for pre-order.
I am with you and AMEN!
I’m glad to have good company, Jessica! Thank you!
Our testimony is what will enable those around us to overcome the enemy: “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” Revelation 12:11
Hello Susan, Thank you for your comment. It’s wonderful to realize that we can empower others to overcome the enemy by sharing our story.
*I’m sorry for my delayed reply. I was off the grid all week.
I want to follow every promise he has for me!
Hello Terri, Thank you for your comment. God’s promises are so powerful and they never fail. I think the only way we can follow His promises is by grace, through prayer. At least I know I can’t do it on my own.
*I’m sorry for my delayed reply. I was off the grid all week.
Oh, the struggles of wrestling with perfectionism! I feel like I could have written part of this myself. Thank you for your transparency and reminding us that God just wants us to do our best, and He’ll take care of the rest!
Hi Jennifer, Thank you for your comments. I’m glad you could relate. I think recovering perfectionists like us need to be reminded of God’s grace every day.
This was so encouraging! I have so many topics God has put on my heart to share but sometimes I get so caught up in wanting to present a flawless case that I lose heart. One topic I wanted to write about has taken 3 months to research so far. But I will trust that if God has placed it in my heart it’s because he trusts I will honor him in my writing of it. ?
Hi Jasmine, Thank you for your comments! I’m so glad that God used this post to encourage you! It’s really easy to get bogged down in the details, that’s for sure. My husband has called me “paralysis by analysis” sometimes. God doesn’t care about flawless; He uses imperfections the most. If you’d ever like to bounce ideas around, please don’t hesitate to reach out! I really hope I get to read this project you are working so hard on.
Hello Valerie! I couldn’t sleep last night after writing my testimony because I’d never shared all my shame and secrets all at one time. I felt very exposed. So I googled “how do you tell your testimony when your life was a difficult one and you feel exposed” and your blog came up. Thank you! God used you to help me so I can use my Testimony to help shape others. I wanted to encourage you as you have encouraged me today.
Wow, Janel! This literally brought me to tears. I continued to struggle with this through breast cancer and now stepping out even more as I lean on Jesus through cognitive issues brought on by the disease. But I do it anyway because I trust God to use my words exactly for women like you. You are the reason I write. And I thank God that He brought you to me and I pray that He’ll continue to encourage you. I’ve written about this topic a lot. A year or two ago, I wrote an open letter to fellow faith bloggers and Heather put it on our Be Our Guest page here. https://candidlychristian.com/about/candid-guests/
I’d be glad to support and encourage you in any way I can. Please reach out to me anytime. Prayers and hugs to you, Janel!
I googled “feeling stupid sharing my testimony as a Christian” and your blog came up.
It is very hard to share your story because it leave you so Vulnerable and dumb, but your post assured me that I’m doing it for God and he will do the rest of the work with it. I love the idea of thinking Jesus nudged God and said “do you see the work Victoria is doing.” I needed that mental image. Gods work is very hard I don’t know how he does it everyday!
Thank you for sharing.