In Christian circles, this is simply a statement (or a testament) effectively describing something God did, has done or will do for you in your life. This may be as lowkey as making a bus that you were late for, or a life-changing event such as getting saved and becoming a child of God.
Chapter 1 and verse 18 of the book of James in the New Testament of the Bible says: “Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
And because in Christianity we are called to believe the Bible as God’s words or certainly words, thoughts and feelings expressed by others that he’s sanctioned and intended for us to read, know and feel, we know through James that all the things that God does are good and perfect for us and these characteristics will not change because He does not change.
So, a testimony is then a statement describing something good that has happened to you which is directly or indirectly linked to the status of your relationship with God.
When Testimony Becomes Service to God
For most people, the first testimony they will have is of their salvation. Where testimony can take on a life of its own so to speak is when it is used to bring glory to God beyond your own private thanks to Him. Put another way, does someone else benefit from your testimony?
A great example of this in the Bible is the story of Lazarus. This story can be found in the book of John chapter 11 from verse 1 to 45. To summarize, Lazarus who was a friend of Jesus had fallen sick and later died. The story details Jesus journey of grief, frustration and prayer that culminated in his return back to where Lazarus was buried and Lazarus’ return back to life.
In verse 45, something curious was happening. Some of the people who got to see or came to know that Lazarus was raised back to life, began to believe in Jesus and in God. But also, in verse 9 and verse 17 of chapter 12 of the same book, something else becomes apparent: there was a big interest in Lazarus’ story. People wanted to see the man who had died but still lived, and those who had seen him rise began to give testimony of what they had seen and heard.
I call this phenomenon the multiplicity of blessings through testimony. This is where one person’s testimony leads others to nearness to God or knowledge of Him, bringing glory to God. It is a kind of service and the cool thing is that God rewards those who serve Him. So, a single testimony can result in a conveyor belt of God’s blessings repeating over and over again to you.
Be blessed.
That Christian Next Door 