If We Don't Tell Them About Jesus, Who Will?

Your testimony is important! Do you have one? Has it been updated recently or is it the same one you have been carrying around for the last 5, 10 30 years? I gain a new testimony every day as Jesus and I keep interacting and he continues to do these amazing things in my life. Your testimony about Jesus is your story of you and Jesus, and it could mean someone's salvation. Sometimes it is not enough to simply say "Jesus loves you" because people need to see that in come kind of context. That context is your life.

The problem is many people do not have a current testimony about Jesus because they are not constantly interacting with him. They have the testimony of their salvation, which is powerful and fantastic but there has to be more. It is enough that Jesus Christ died on the cross for us and rose from the grave; it is enough, but there is more because he hasn't stopped doing things in me and through me and around me. Our testimony should be as fresh as a new day.

Let's consider the importance of your testimony for just a moment. Remember the Samaritan woman from a couple of days ago? Jesus had spoken a word of knowledge into her and she was amazed. So amazed that she went back to her town and told everyone about it:

“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” (John 4:29)

In the next breath we read:

They came out of the town and made their way toward him. (John 4:30)

Of this woman's testimony the Word of God records this fact:

Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” (John 4:39)

Pretty amazing stuff. Just from a simple testimony, a whole town came out to meet Jesus. But listen to what they had to say after they met him:

They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42)

Wow, I get goose bumps reading that. Jesus spoke a simple word of knowledge into this woman and she got so excited about it that she ran to tell her home town. This was exciting stuff, so exciting everyone had to hear about it. Because of what she had to say about Jesus they came to check him out for themselves and it resulted in the salvation of a town. One woman's testimony changed so many lives. Kind of puts us to shame.

When was the last time you got so excited about Jesus that you had to tell everyone you knew about what he had done for you? Too many of us have no testimony to share other than that of our salvation. Too many of us live defeated lives, not claiming the victory that is rightfully ours. How can a person have a testimony to share when they don't believe in the power of God to overcome everything in their lives? Our life is a story book and Jesus Christ should be written on every page. Every page should be a testimony about Jesus' greatness, authority, love, compassion, grace. But how can people read it if we are not living it, proclaiming it, receiving it?

Have you ever stopped to think for a moment that it's not about you? Sure, God loves us and has compassion on us but have you ever thought that he actually wants to give you victory for himself? He wants to give you a testimony today so that you can boast about Jesus. He wants to glorify himself in your life so that others will see it and come to him through your victories. How selfish of you not to claim those victories so that you have a testimony to share with people, so they in turn would check him out for themselves. Staying in a place of defeat and ignoring the power of Jesus to change things is selfish and self-destructive, as well as robbing the world of a life-changing testimony of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps it is an odd way to put it but that is how important and powerful a fresh testimony about Jesus is to this world, to your neighbour and to your family. The world looks at the Church and sees a religion because no one is talking about what Jesus is doing in their lives today. They see ceremonies, traditions, a list of rules but they see no relationship there. They don't see what Jesus is doing in the lives of his believers today. Shame on us. Let's change this. Let's pray, "Open my eyes Lord to your glory and presence. Help me to see where you are working so I can join you there. Give me victory today so that I will have a testimony to share with the world, that the world would see your glory in me. Forgive me for my lack of faith and strengthen me to believe I am more than a conqueror through you. May my life me a living testimony of your glory; of your love and grace." Now watch what Jesus is going to do today; receive it and share it! The world needs Jesus!