You’ve heard many stories of faith. You’ve listened to people talk about how they came to follow Jesus. You’ve also seen how people respond to these testimonies, with listeners applauding and even cheering after hearing the stories.
And the ones that get the loudest ovations? The testimonies that are celebrated the most? The ones that are dramatic.
You know those stories. The former drug addict. The militant atheist. The ex-convict. Those dramatic stories get the most attention. We often think, Wow, God can save such a wretched person!
But if you’re like me, you look at your own story of faith, and it’s not dramatic. It’s pretty mundane.
“I was born in a Christian family.”
“I went to church my whole life.”
“My parents taught me about Jesus at a young age.”
Jesus, faith, and church have always been in your life. Maybe you don’t remember when you made a decision about Jesus. You don’t really have a story about a drastic turnaround. In fact, you think your testimony is boring.
If you’re like me, you’ve had testimony envy. I remember wishing I had a faith story that would make people cheer—one that is dramatic.
But what if the mundane stories are worth celebrating? Have we considered that these “boring” testimonies are actually a blessing? Here are five reasons why followers of Jesus should treasure the “less-dramatic,” ordinary faith accounts:
1. Ordinary testimonies offer sound teaching to the church.
First, the “boring” testimonies remind the church of the biblical call to faithfulness. The Christian life is difficult. We face persecution (2 Timothy 3:12), suffering (Philippians 1:29), false teaching (2 Peter 2:1), and temptations to sin (James 1:14-15). As a result, many wander from the truth (James 5:19, 2 Peter 3:17). It’s no wonder why the Scriptures remind us to persevere, stand firm, and endure in following Jesus (Hebrews 12:1, Romans 5:3-5, Galatians 6:9). The less dramatic stories of faith often remind us to celebrate when someone has remained faithful, staying on the straight and narrow path. In other words, while the dramatic stories emphasize a moment of conversion in the past, the mundane stories, like the New Testament, focus on perseverance in the present.
2. Ordinary testimonies teach about the key role of the community.
The primary faith communities are often the household and the local church. While Joshua declared that his house would serve the Lord, the church gets to hear the results–the positive impact of this resolve. Also, the church is called to carry each other’s burdens, encourage one another, and bring back those who wander (Galatians 6:2, Hebrews 10:25, James 5:20). As Christians share their non-dramatic testimonies, we can urge each other to continue fulfilling God’s design for the home and the church.
3. Ordinary testimonies remind the church of every kind of sin.
To be sure, dramatic testimonies often recall particularly shameful acts like illegal activity, substance abuse, or extramarital sex. However, it’s the mundane testimonies that point out sins that the church often casually accepts–like selfishness, pride, worry, and gossip (Philippians 2:3, Romans 12:16, Matthew 6:25, James 4:11). Highlighting the “church sins” reminds us that any failure to reach God’s standard makes us guilty (James 2:10).
4. Ordinary testimonies bring glory to God.
Ordinary testimonies glorify God by highlighting his faithfulness through the generations. The Lord told the people of Israel to pass his teachings to their children (Deuteronomy 6:4-9). Psalm 78 paints a picture of what happens when we teach our children how the Creator wants us to live: they will obey his commands and, in turn, teach their children about the Lord (Psalm 78:5-7). By testifying about how our parents and Sunday School teachers guided us, we point to God’s continued faithfulness, just like Ethan the Ezrahite sings in Psalm 89: “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth, I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.”
5. Ordinary testimonies remind us that God has protected his followers from falling away.
A recent study shows that two-thirds of churchgoing teenagers drop out of church as adults. This is consistent with Jesus’s teaching that many will enter through the wide door that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13). So when someone shares about being preserved in the faith, we are reminded to consider the alternative, and we should celebrate God’s faithfulness.
Indeed, if any remain faithful to him, it takes action from God. After all, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in the believer and to become the deposit guaranteeing our inheritance (Romans 8:9, Ephesians 1:13-14). The apostle Paul teaches us that it is the Spirit who enables followers of Jesus to be regenerated and have God-pleasing fruit (Galatians 5:22-25, Titus 3:4-8). So, as we share about our faith journeys, God-pleasing actions, and being on the narrow path to life, we should give credit to the Holy Spirit. After all, God is able to keep us from stumbling–he is the faithful one who will keep us blameless until the second coming (Jude 24, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
Conclusion
Brothers and sisters, let’s never have testimony envy. Those who can testify to God’s faithfulness have a gift to offer to the church. Not only do our “boring” testimonies provide sound teaching, but they also bring God the glory he is due. He has blessed us and kept us. That is worth declaring and celebrating.