Jesus mostly taught by storytelling and by his actions. We know how we are to love others because of the real-life examples he gave us through story and by the way he reached out to love all people, even those on the fringes. But there is one message that Jesus gave to us plainly and simply: Go and tell others about him. This practice is sometimes referred to as “testimony” – the sharing of our Christian experience. We learn by exploring the Scriptures that testimonies can be very different.

Paul retells (Acts 22:6-16; 26:12-18) his Damascus Road experience (Acts 9) in which he is blinded but given true sight by Christ.

• Two disciples tell the story of unknowingly walking with Jesus and only knowing it was him when he broke bread (Luke 24:33-35)
• Paul, writing to Timothy, recalls the faith of Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, and his mother Eunice, and now recognizes that same faith in Timothy (2 Timothy 1).

Our life stories and faith experiences are all different, yet it is the same Lord who meets us in those different places. Sometimes we are drawn to almost unbelievable testimonies when the good news of Christ seems too good to be true! Testimonies of less spectacular events are generally more believable to us, yet we tend to question the importance of these events in shaping our testimonies.

Put into practice

• Begin to write your faith story this week. Start with, “A time in my life when I felt close to God was ______” and add to it each day.
• Ask a friend or family member to tell you about his or her own faith.
• Write a letter or email to someone who has shaped your Christian faith. Express your gratitude for that person’s testimony, telling him or her of its importance to you.