When your Testimony isn't that "Testimony"

I grew up in church, heck, I was practically born in the pew. I was that baby that was passed from arm to arm as soon as my parents walked across the threshold of the church. Entering into my toddler stage, I was the child that crawled underneath the pews to find my toddler friends to hang out at their pew. (SIDENOTE: it’s a crime that churches have chairs you can’t crawl under bring back the pews!) Once I was old enough to go to children’s church, I went to children’s church. I moved and my church didn’t really have a children’s church but by golly my sister and I went. And when I was old enough to go to youth camp and youth services we did that too. I moved again and joined a youth group and began going to youth camps and conventions. Just like I always had. That’s what my sister and I did— we went to church. 

I would go to these youth camps and listen to amazing preachers speak about their testimonies and just be in awe that they overcame such adversities. I would then sit there and evaluate my life and wonder why, I too, didn’t have that sort of “testimony.” Sure I hit a couple bumps in the road, sure I had a couple problems with insecurities but I didn’t have “that testimony” that everyone else seemed to have. I would ask God how I was supposed to reach my future students if I couldn’t share something special. If you’re like me and thought those thoughts growing up let me tell you, you have something special. 

I didn’t realize what I had until I heard a speaker, Jayme Montera, say that not having “that testimony” was a testimony. Basically what he said was can you imagine a generation of students looking up to you because you’ve set the positive example you’ve set. Can you imagine a group of students striving to stay in church and grow up in church and protect their purity because that’s the kind of example that you’ve set? Whoa, hello conviction. I had no idea. Can you imagine it though? I M A G I N E a generation so caught up in Jesus that they can’t get tangled up in what the world is trying to trap them in just because one person decided to stay pure, innocent, clean, good, righteous. 

So to the girl who is waiting until marriage—WAIT UNTIL MARRIAGE. To the boy who is constantly asked to go out and get plastered—STAY STRONG. Students who are made fun of in school just because you go to youth on Wednesday nights—WHO CARES? John 16:33 says, (Jesus said) “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation [or trials]. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” So just hang in there. I promise whatever valley you’re in God will bring you through it.  You will get back to the top of the mountain and when you do, remember who got you there. Your future spouse will thank you one day, the other drivers on the road will thank you one day, the kids that look up to you will thank you one day, just keep on keeping on and doing you. 

To the people who have already done the things that they “shouldn’t”, to the ones who are still living in regret about past mistakes… Romans 5:1-11, “God died for us while we were still sinners.” Y’all, he saw our imperfections and still counted us as worthy to have sent his son who knew NO sin to die for us. Yes, that even includes me, because before I accepted Jesus I was a s-i-n-n-e-r. The last verse of that passage, verse 11, says, “More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.” We’ve been reconciled!! No longer are we strangers to Christ when we accept him into our hearts. Reconciled means we’re buddies with God through Jesus. Praise the Lord! You know what’s even better… our salvation does not rely on conditions. Meaning, yes we should be obedient to Christ and try to follow his righteousness, BUT… but… he takes us as we are. He sees us, so dirty from the grim of the world, and he says come here. Let me clean you. Let me make you white as snow again. Let me welcome you into my family. You are welcome here. What past—You’ve been born agains so walk in the newness.