The “why” and “how” of sharing your story with others.

If you’ve been in church for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard people talk about how important it is to “share your story,” “share your testimony,” or “evangelize.” What you may not have heard is WHY it is so crucial for a believer to do, or HOW you actually go about doing it.

There are a few reasons why this is so important.

• We share because Jesus commands us to. In Matthew 28:19, known as The Great Commission, Jesus tells His followers to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Jesus instructs us to go tell other people about Him and the incredible things that He has done.
• We share out of an overflow of our hearts. If God has truly done a work in us and changed us, it will naturally show in the way we do things and treat people. As we become more and more like Christ, our love for God and our love for others will spill out into others’ lives. Think of it like a waffle: as the syrup gets poured into the middle, it doesn’t just stay in one tiny container. It eventually fills up and flows into all the other squares and even onto the plate underneath.
• We share because we truly care about others. Having a relationship with God and glorifying Him is what we were created to do. It’s also the very best thing that could ever happen to us! When we love other people, we want them to experience the same life change we have had. We want them to experience this amazing, life-altering, purpose-giving, soul-redeeming relationship!

Sometimes sharing about our faith can be a little intimidating because we may feel like we don’t know everything we should or don’t have the right words to say. But the truth is, you don’t have to have everything “right” to tell people about Jesus. The Holy Spirit works in us, guiding and helping us. It’s not up to you to say the perfect thing that will make it click in someone’s mind. It is your responsibility to share, but changing someone’s heart is the work of God.

If God has changed you, then you have a powerful testimony: you once were spiritually dead, and now you are alive in Christ. That itself is incredibly powerful! You may not know every answer, but you do know what God has done in you. How incredible is it that God Himself wants to use YOU to share His love and light to others?

It’s important to remember that we share out of love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 states, “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” Evangelism has to come from a place of a changed heart and love for others, or it is like a “clanging cymbal.” Very few people, if any, have had their hearts change because they have been yelled at or ridiculed. A lot of people have had their hearts changed because someone stepped out to love them when they didn’t deserve it. 

So how do we actually share our testimony? 

It doesn’t have to be super complex- you should tell people what God has done in and for you. One way to do this is to answer these three questions:

1. What was your life like before Jesus?
2. How did Jesus enter into your life and save you?
3. How has your life been different since Jesus came into it?

You can write out these questions in a journal or practice answering them in your mirror. Prepare ahead of time for what you want to say when the opportunity arises, and pray that God would show you who you need to share your story with. Ask Him to help you and give you boldness when the time comes. You don’t have to have all the answers, but you should share God’s amazing love and what He’s done in and through you with the people around you!