Testimonies?

[PatienceAndLove]

Why would you want to keep what God has done with and through you from a world that is so hungry for Him?

This is what confuses me about this thread. By not telling your story you hide Him from the world. If each of us were to tell our story we could fill this world with God’s love. Your story is a message about how awesome God is. Even if it isn’t dramatic.

I guess I just don’t understand why you would want to hide God from those around you… We should always be constantly telling our stories to a world that needs Him so desparately.

If, through conversation, I think that perhaps my story might be helpful to that person, I will share it IF that person wants to hear it. Otherwise, it’s mine and I keep it to myself. I don’t open a conversation with it, and I do not stand in front of a group of people and share it in order to be congratulated. I don’t push it on people, I don’t post it on my Facebook or my MySpace, or my website because what God has done to me is between myself and Him.
Additionally, He is not done with me, and, therefore, I feel that is presumptuous to share the journey at all.

 

[Singinbeauty]

If, through conversation, I think that perhaps my story might be helpful to that person, I will share it IF that person wants to hear it. Otherwise, it’s mine and I keep it to myself. I don’t open a conversation with it, and I do not stand in front of a group of people and share it in order to be congratulated. I don’t push it on people, I don’t post it on my Facebook or my MySpace, or my website because what God has done to me is between myself and Him.

I guess it just amazes me to see this attitude because Christ said to go and make disciples of men. He didn’t say to wait until they come to us and ask us. To tell someone your story is not to force it down their throat, especially doing it in front of your congregation when people walk willingly into those doors and sit down. They can always walk away, and sometimes they will. But there might be that one person sitting out there that needs to hear what God has done because they are in that situation or something similar right then and they might not think that God cares at all. Sometimes it is hard to relate to God through scripture because our world is very different than the time of Christ. To hear someone’s story about what God has done with and through them is not to celebrate the person and congratulate them it is to celebrate God and to know that He is still among us! Working with and through us to accomplish amazing things. Glory be to God because He is still choosing to work with us screwups and pull us from the messes we get ourselves into. He is still working with people who feel they have no hope to pull them out of the black hole they fell into to be a light to those around them.
"Matthew 5:14-16:

14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

If you feel that your story is too personal because of stuff that happened in your past that just may be the story that people need to hear because they are going through the same thing. We are called to ‘go’ and seek out those who need God. Peter, Paul, and all the apolstles and disciples did it and do it now, why can’t you?

Additionally, He is not done with me, and, therefore, I feel that is presumptuous to share the journey at all.

He is never done with any of us. But the journey may help someone relate God to their lives. Why do you want to hide your light and what God has done? You should share it with the WHOLE world because it hungers for Him. That fire should burn so bright that no one around you can ignore your story. God has done some amazing things in you, I can tell. To worship Him to the fullest would be to tell everyone what He has done and give all glory to Him for where you are today. If you wait until He is finished with you then no one would hear your story until we reach Heaven and it will be too late for those who hungered for Him hear on earth. Don’t be shy! God will tell those around you what they need to hear and give you His words… All you have to be is willing.

 

[Gardening_Mommy]

I was part of a “non-denominational” Bible study in college (by which they really meant “anybody but Catholics”). They kept trying to invite speakers who would come and give emotional testimonies about how God saved them from a life of sin and debauchery and crime and drugs… and the head chaplain kept saying, “NO,” because, well, we were at the U.S. Naval Academy and none of us had that kind of history! When I pointed that out at a leadership meeting, nobody got it. “But it’s a powerful testimony!” That’s great, but it has nearly nothing to do with midshipmen, who generally are hard-working, non-criminal, fairly responsible people.

Later, with a Bible study in Virginia associated with the same organization, the leader encouraged everyone to write and practice their testimonies. (My husband told about how he chose to become Catholic. ) Most of the testimonies tended to have way too much personal detail and a hint of sensationalism. We were told to write them as a sort of “hook” to get people interested in talking about Christ.

Kimberly Hahn told a story that, for her, helped explain Mary’s Immaculate Conception, but it also touches on “testimonies” and their tendency to fall into a sort of spiritual one-upsmanship:

Kimberly was at a Bible study with a friend, the son of a pastor (aka PK, Preacher’s Kid, no disrespect meant, just to give him a name). The PK was a great guy, very devout, straight laced, etc. Everyone was giving their testimonies: “Jesus saved me from lying and gossip!” Next: “Well, Jesus saved me from lying, gossip, and smoking!” Then: “Well, Jesus saved ME from all that AND sexual immorality!”

Finally, PK stood up and started, “Well, Jesus saved me from lying and gossip and smoking and sexual immorality and alcohol addiction and …” Kimberly looked at him in shock. PK had never had any of these problems! What the heck was he doing, just trying to show everyone up?

Then he finished, “… and Jesus saved me from all of that by giving me good, solid, Christian parents; a wonderful church; and keeping me with good friends who held me accountable.”

Later in life, Kimberly cited it as a way of explaining how Mary is still saved by Jesus, just as a preventive rather than as a remedial effect like the rest of us. However, she also gave an example of how rare that kind of “long, slow obedience in the same direction” testimony can be.

 

[PatienceAndLove]

Kimberly was at a Bible study with a friend, the son of a pastor (aka PK, Preacher’s Kid, no disrespect meant, just to give him a name). The PK was a great guy, very devout, straight laced, etc. Everyone was giving their testimonies: “Jesus saved me from lying and gossip!” Next: “Well, Jesus saved me from lying, gossip, and smoking!” Then: “Well, Jesus saved ME from all that AND sexual immorality!”

Finally, PK stood up and started, “Well, Jesus saved me from lying and gossip and smoking and sexual immorality and alcohol addiction and …” Kimberly looked at him in shock. PK had never had any of these problems! What the heck was he doing, just trying to show everyone up?

Then he finished, “… and Jesus saved me from all of that by giving me good, solid, Christian parents; a wonderful church; and keeping me with good friends who held me accountable.”

Later in life, Kimberly cited it as a way of explaining how Mary is still saved by Jesus, just as a preventive rather than as a remedial effect like the rest of us. However, she also gave an example of how rare that kind of “long, slow obedience in the same direction” testimony can be.

I like that. But testimonies, at least the ones I have experienced, are more like the ones mentioned at the beginning of the story.

 

[Rawb]

I forgot about this thread.

I think it might just be like devotions, where one person loves to pray their rosary every day, but someone else prays the Chaplet of St. Joseph, and a third will do the morning and evening prays in the LOTH. Testimonies just don’t connect with me (or apparently PatienceandLove) but they do with Singingbeauty.

That’s not entirely true. In fact, it’s not true at all. So you mean to tell me that your life has been a bed of roses without so much as a moment of stress in it? I highly doubt that

Keep in mind that this was in high school. I haven’t heard a testimony since I left Protestantism early last year, I started converting while still in High School. I had never drank, I had never smoked or done drugs, I didn’t swear, I had learned in middle school to keep my eyes away from scantilly dressed women on campus and in movies/pictures/etc. Nobody in my family had died or left, my parents are both still married, I attended church every Wednesday in a church where my cousin was a pastor, I read the Bible regularly. I pretty much have led a life that has been a bed of roses without almost no stress in it (My family all gets along very well BTW). I’m still only 19 though.

So hearing those testimonies (and I’d never heard any other type) didn’t connect with me at all, and I usually would lose interest very quickly.

Why do you want to hide your light and what God has done? You should share it with the WHOLE world because it hungers for Him. That fire should burn so bright that no one around you can ignore your story

.

Maybe our lights do burng brightly, just not from telling people our pasts. I’m inspired much more by seeing the same man in church every daily mass than hearing about how he once was on drugs. I feel closer to God and my fellow Catholics when I see them crossing themselves or praying the rosary in public than hearing about how God led them through a troubled time. Maybe those are important, and will allow them to help others in similar situations, but testimonies are obviously not for everyone. You see them as bringing glory to God, I see attending Mass, praying, wearing symbols of our faith, as bringing Glory to God more than hearing someone’s story. That’s just my opinion though. Like I said before, Testimonies may resonate with some people, but they’re obviously not for everyone.

 

[PatienceAndLove]

Preach the Gospel to all the World, and if necessary, use Words.

 

[Jamie_Patton]

A friend of mine just posted his Testimony on Facebook…

I don’t understand this concept of Testimony within Protestant religions. I don’t get why Protestant people I know ask me for my testimony, and are shocked when I don’t have one, and that I don’t “get” it.

Does it have to do with “getting saved”?

It’s basically the story of how one came to know Christ. The events leading up to, during and after one gives his/her life to Jesus. For some it is a story of how a tradegy brought them to know our Lord. Anyway it happend the story of it would be their “testimony” and the event of one asking Jesus into their life and to forgive them of their sins is the “getting saved” No matter if it was as a young child or adult, the first time a person asks for Jesus to forgive them and be their saviour is when “your saved” This seems to be typical lingo around Evangelical communities.

Protestant on the way to a Catholic life,
Jamie

 

[jimcav]

Here is a perfect example for pretending to know about protestants when a catholic has not idea whatsoever of what they are talking about… …

Well I’m married to a Baptist, so I think I know alittle something about testimonies…

My wife never gave a testimony when she used to attend her Baptist church, simply because she is a private person, and didn’t feel as though she needed to share her testimony in such a public way. In private and in the right conditions she would open up for someone, but not in public, and thats the way I feel, and I’m sure many Catholics feel.

I am not saying it is wrong to give public testimony, but it’s not for me at all. I have seen them go on for to long, with to much personal info and seemingly to much embellishment. I hate to say it, but at times I was actually embarrased, and I think my wife was to.

But testimonies do seem to go along with Americas new penchant for sharing their inermost and deepest feelings with the world. We see that on TV every day…

 

[lak611]

I am curious if anyone knows the history of when testimonies became popular. I know some people in AA, and frequently the testimonies seem similar to “leads” in AA meetings, only about Jesus rather than AA. I wonder if the testimonies have their origins in AA, only with a Christian slant.

 

[lak611]

I am curious if anyone knows the history of when testimonies became popular. I know some people in AA, and frequently the testimonies seem similar to “leads” in AA meetings, only about Jesus rather than AA. I wonder if the testimonies have their origins in AA, only with a Christian slant.

bump