Amy and Testify

Testify

[John the Baptist] came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. (John 1:8)

What does it mean to testify to the light?  

If we think of the testimony of John the Baptist, we might get the impression that to testify means something quite dramatic. John lived alone in the wilderness, ate locusts and wild honey, and drew many to him for baptism, while promising that one greater than he is coming.

To testify is in part to simply name and describe how God is working in your life or how God has worked in your life and changed you. To testify might also mean how you hope for God to work in your life, or how you yearn to be changed. To share that testimony with others is a profound way to proclaim the Gospel and draw others to the light. Testimony from one Christian to another has sustained and will continue to sustain Christian community over time. 

Testifying might come easy for some of you, or be terror-inducing for others of you. Even if you can name how God is working in your life, you might not feel comfortable sharing it publicly.

If you were at one of our worship services on Sunday either in person or at the livestream, you heard me share my testimony in the context of preaching John 3: 1-17. 

That was the first time that I have shared my testimony publicly. Though I felt God at work in my lived experience and in the people I was with that December day in 1994, I had a lot of work to do on myself to be able to share that story publicly last Sunday. Hey - it only took 27 years!

There is no right or wrong time to testify. There is no right or wrong testimony. 

Do you have words to describe and name what your relationship with God means in your life, why it matters, how it changes you? I invite you to spend some time in prayer and reflection on this if you haven't before. 

If you missed church on Sunday, you can view the livestream here