My Testimony

A few years ago in a Bible study I was involved in, we were challenged to write our testimony down on paper. I decided it was a worthwhile project because someday I want my kids to read it and know how my life as a follower of Jesus began.  I wrote it out, saved it to my computer, put one in my Bible and one in my safe deposit box (so in the event of death there would be no questions about my salvation).  One can never be too prepared. Although I sure hope people don't need to read it to know where I'm going when I die.

I tried to make it as interesting as I could, but couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that there was not much to tell.  No major event that led me to Christ.  No bad past erased, no "coming to Jesus" moment, no hell-fire and brimstone sermon that turned my life around.  I remember the moment of asking Jesus to be my Savior but honestly couldn't recall a time when I never trusted him as my Savior.  I grew up knowing Christ and trusting in him.

I trusted in Him and prayed for the big and little things in life.  To please help me find my lost shoe, help me pass my tests, find the man of my dreams, get that job....he was just simply part of my life.  My maturity in Him has grown much and keeps growing - but my relationship, it began long ago.

Until yesterday, I kind of looked at my testimony as a "boring" one.  But, this sermon opened my eyes to something.  The pastor said,

"we {his church} have those who are saved in the earliest point of their life, they don't ever remember not loving trusting and following Jesus Christ and the weird thing for me is that people don't like that testimony, you should LOVE that testimony.  Like I am begging God that my kid's testimony isn't that he was shooting heroin in his eyeballs then ended up in prison but rather that he has a testimony that says 'I don't remember a day that I didn't love trust and follow Him.'  And so you shouldn't be ashamed of your testimony you should love and delight in it if that's your testimony."

And so I do, from now on...what's boring about loving Christ your whole life?

So here's my amazing testimony (written on 1/3/2008):

My Testimony

I will never forget the way I felt that night – the night I gave my life to the Lord.  I don’t remember my age (though I’m guessing around eight), I don’t remember the message or activities at AWANA, I don’t remember who was there (except for my mom).  What I do recall is the single most important decision in my life made at such a young age. 

I was riding in the back of our white family station wagon – which later became known as the “party wagon” when I got the privilege of driving it in high school.  My mom had just picked us up from AWANA.  There must have been a lesson or message that night that really stirred my soul.  Because growing up in a Christian family, even by the age of 8, I’m sure I had heard of my need of a Savior dozens of times before.  But, as I was riding in our car that night, I remember vividly looking up at the full moon and asking the Lord to take my sins away and inviting Him into my life.  The feeling of being washed clean came over me and I’ve never felt such joy in my life.  The natural high of knowing I was now in the family of Christ was inexplicable and incomparable to any other feeling I’ve ever had.  Christ had indeed entered my soul, and I felt the powerful presence of God.  Not only was Christ living in me, I would now live with Him in eternity. 

 

One of the most well-known verses of all, John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”  The Lord lets us make the decision to come to Him and loves us either way.  If we choose him we put our trust and confidence in him and him alone, knowing that he is the only one who can save us from eternal condemnation or eternal hell.  After that point, nothing in the world should matter except trying to live a life worthy of Christ.  No amount of money or possessions can get us to heaven, it’s only by faith that we are saved.

Twenty some years later after my decision to follow Christ, I have never looked back.  Though most days I don’t deserve his mercy and grace, I will be forever striving to be in the image of Christ.  He has seen me through the hardest times and the most wonderful times in my life.  I can say with certainty that the hard times were easier knowing I had Christ to lean on and the good times were even better knowing he was celebrating there with me.  Nothing in my life is more significant than the decision to follow Christ.

Tami Driggers

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This Week's Verse: 

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.  Instead, be filled with the Spirit.  Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.  Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:18-20