Your Story Doesn’t Have to Be Dramatic to Matter

For a long time, I thought I had a pretty boring testimony.

I grew up going to church. When I was in kindergarten, I attended Sunday school in the kitchen of our church in California. My teacher, Mrs. Reese, was telling us about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins.

She explained that we could know Jesus and have eternal life with Him. When she invited us to respond, I raised my hand. She took me and another boy into the hallway and prayed with us.

That was my story.

No dramatic turnaround. No wild lifestyle. No moment when everything came crashing down and I suddenly realized I needed Jesus.

And for a long time, I wondered whether my testimony was interesting enough to share.

We Like Dramatic Stories

You’ve probably heard some powerful testimonies.

People who struggled with addiction, lived destructive lives, or experienced terrible circumstances before coming to Christ.

Those stories can be wonderful reminders of God’s grace.

But sometimes we begin to think that the more dramatic the past, the more powerful the testimony.

I used to compare my story to those kinds of experiences.

Then someone helped me see it differently.

I had been blessed to grow up in a family where worshiping God and serving Him were part of everyday life. I had people who taught me about Jesus from an early age.

God had shown me grace, too.

And I had no reason to be embarrassed about that.

The Miracle Is the Same

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul tells us that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.

Notice what he doesn’t say.

He doesn’t say that only people with terrible pasts become new creations.

He doesn’t say that God saves some people more completely than others.

He says anyone who is in Christ.

That’s what makes the gospel so wonderful.

Every one of us has sinned. Every one of us needs forgiveness. And none of us can earn a right relationship with God.

Jesus lived the sinless life we couldn’t live, died for our sins, and rose again on the third day.

Through repentance and faith in Him, we can be forgiven and reconciled to God.

Whether you came to Christ at five years old or fifty-five, you needed the same Savior.

And you received the same grace.

Don’t Confuse Change With Perfection

There’s another important part of this.

Being made new doesn’t mean we immediately become perfect.

Ask the people who know you best whether you’re perfect. They probably won’t have to think very long before answering.

We still struggle. We still make mistakes. We still need to confess sin and grow in obedience.

But Jesus doesn’t simply offer us advice for becoming better versions of ourselves.

He gives us a new identity and begins changing the way we live.

That’s why I asked a question during Sunday’s message that I think every Christian should consider:

“What difference has Jesus made in my life?”

It’s a question worth answering.

Not because we need an impressive story, but because our lives should increasingly reflect the One who saved us.

Somebody Needs to Hear Your Story

There are people around you who need to know Jesus.

And some of them may connect with your story in ways you never expected.

Maybe they grew up in church but have never personally trusted Christ.

Maybe they think becoming a Christian requires some dramatic emotional experience.

Maybe they believe they’ve been too bad for God to forgive them.

Your testimony can help point them to the truth.

You don’t need to exaggerate what happened. You don’t need to make your past sound worse than it was. And you certainly don’t need to make yourself the hero.

Jesus is the hero.

Tell people who you were, how you came to know Christ, and what He’s doing in your life today.

Your story doesn’t have to be dramatic to matter.

It just needs to point people to Jesus.

Originally published at lakelynn.org.