After I made sure my salvation was solid, I had to deal with the fact that my testimony was a little 'boring' in my eyes compared to others. Now, I will say that I no longer believe that any testimony is boring. When a person accepts Jesus, scripture says that the angels rejoice. I do not believe that one person is rejoiced over more than another. God loves all of His children the same. As I was struggling with the importance of my testimony, God revealed to me what I believe would have been my future without having Jesus as my Savior. I believe I would have lived a life to get attention from men and I would have paid the consequences. I believe my form of entertainment would have been the bar. I believe my language would not be rated G. I believe I would be a very bitter person from the way I was loved. I believe I would be divorced and so my whole family would have to live with the effect. I have come to realize that God saved me from many things, even if it was before I had to experience it.
Let's imagine a pit along a certain path. One person walked along the path and fell into the pit. A man came and pulled the person out of the pit. Another person walked down the path and before they fell in the pit, the man came and redirected the second person. Which one was more saved? Which one should be more grateful? Which experience was more important? He saved them equally from the same doom.
The important thing is to first, make sure you have a salvation testimony. Then understand which ever kind of story you have, it is going to be used for God's glory.
Know that your story is important to Him and to others. Embrace your unique story! I encourage you to tell one person today your story!!
Say the welcoming words to God--"Jesus is my Master"-- embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God trusting Him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between Him and me!" Scripture reassures us, "No one who trusts God like this -- heart and soul -- will ever regret it. "It's exactly the same no matter what a person's religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help.
Everyone who calls, 'Help, God!' gets help.
Romans 10: 9-13 (The Message)
4 comments:
When I put my story up I was thinking well that seemed pretty cut and dry. There is so much I have left out. There are things that I prayed so hard about and I felt God telling me what to do and saving me from what could have been terrible mistakes that would have life altering. He has shown Himself to me through so many people and things. God really is everywhere sometimes you just have to stop, look and listen!!!
My life growing up was quite a chore. Since I was the oldest I was responsible for all the younger ones and whatever they did or didn't do. My dad was an alcoholic and mom had her own problems. I remember taking a lot of hits from my dad when I stepped in between him and my mom to keep her from getting hit. It was almost a nightly thing in our house. I was never allowed to have any friends as I had responsibilites to take care of. At one point in our life my husband and I also had custody of my sister's and brothers. That was 4 more mouths to feed added to our children. One day the hospital called me and asked me to come down as my brother will ill. When I got there they told me he tried to commit suicide, and left a note saying who to call and it was me. My brother and I were very close. We went together to confront our mom amd dad about being abused and the things that we remembered and we were told we were crazy and those things never happened. We knew different. Just before my dad died he apologized for the life I had. I had forgiven him long ago but had trouble forgiving my mom. In my heart she never cared. It seems she took pleasure in my being hit with a razor strap. In case you don't know what kind of strap that was it was like a barbers strap with a steel buckle on it. I got the buckle end more than the strap end and it sure did hurt. All my siblings have at one time or another called me mom. I was proud of that because I knew they loved me. I had such a good husband who was there for all of us all the time. I tried so long to get him to go to church with us but he would not. In 1999 he had a minor heart attack and the xray they took they said was a mistake as it was taken a little off. They found what they called a chest wall slow growing tumor. I took care of him till he went home on Oct. 11th.200l. Whe he found out he was sick he said he wanted to go to church with me. He never missed a Sunday with me. One day we walked in and he lost his balance and good thing he was standing by the wall side. I kept him upright and asked him if he wanted to go home. Naturally he said no. He told me to play it cool so he wouldn't worry anyone. On the day of his funeral the pastor said a lot of nice things about him but then he said he recalled how one day he saw him lose his balance and thought he was going to fall. He said he never saw a person so determined to stay in church. I look back now and so greatful that he finally got to go to church with his family several times before he passed. You see God did answer my prayers. At the same time another prayer was answered. I asked the Lord to let me be with him when he passed and God answered that prayer also. He died in my arms with all his family there. I felt honored that he took him from my arms and into his. When I look back at my life growing up now I know how it prepared me for the future. I swore to God I would never treat my children the way I was and I kept that promise. My brother passed away last Monday, just a few days before my birthday and he was buried on my birthday. God also answered my prayers again by giving him comfort during his last days. I still struggle with forgiveness for my mom because 2 yrs. ago she told me she wished I'd never have been born. I know to get forgiveness I have to forgive and I'm working on that now. God answered my other prayers so I know he'll help me with this one also. Christians aren't perfect or we wouldn't be here to learn.
Thank You Mrs. T for sharing your story. It is truly inspiring and a great example for us all.
I am in awe of Our Father....and how He can give a tender heart to someone who has suffered in such a manner....Mrs T....thank you for sharing.
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