One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!
JOHN 9:25
Once you have placed your trust in Christ, you belong to Him (Romans 7:4). You have been saved from sin and separation from God, and adopted as His child and a co-heir with Christ (Romans 8:14-17; Ephesians 1:5). And from the moment He called you to salvation and made you new (2 Corinthians 5:17), the Holy Spirit of God has been transforming your life. This means you have a story to tell!
When Jesus healed a man who had been blind since birth, people began to quiz the man about Jesus. The man couldn’t answer most of the questions; he had only encountered Jesus for a moment. But he did know his part of the story, as told in John 9:25—“One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
Like him, you don’t need to understand everything about God or theology in order to share your story. You can share your experience with Jesus, and how your encounter with Him has changed your life. You can tell how He has brought you out of darkness into light (1 Peter 2:9).
1 Peter 3:15 tells believers, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” People all around you need the hope you have found in Christ. They need to belong to Jesus, too. Make sure you are ready to share your testimony of Christ’s work in your life.
Think of your spiritual testimony as three simple parts: Before, How and After.
BEFORE
First give a brief description of what your life was like before trusting in Jesus. Tell about your search for meaning, your attempt to do good or the emptiness you might have felt. What motivated your life? What did you think about God or eternal life? Write a few sentences about your life before.
HOW
Next, tell how you encountered Jesus. Where did you hear the message of the Gospel? What did God reveal to you? What Bible verse impacted you the most? In this part, express the reality of sin and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Write a few sentences about how you trusted Jesus.
AFTER
Finally, explain what your life has been like since your conversion. What has God changed in you? How is God revealing Himself to you? What hope do you have? How are you growing in the knowledge of God? Write a few sentences about your life now.
Now practice telling your story, until you can share it with ease. And be on the lookout for ways you can offer God’s hope to the people you interact with. While people may dismiss Bible stories or scoff at God’s instructions for living, it’s harder for them to deny the change and hope they see in you!
Note: The BEFORE, HOW, and AFTER sections above are adapted from Next Step Discipleship by David Daniels.