Ever had a chance to speak to someone about Jesus, but instead you remained quiet because “your testimony isn’t that powerful?”

Ever wanted to share something but thought, why would anyone listen to me?

Or perhaps you’ve heard others share of their pre-Christ life and thought, though you’d never want to live those same hardships, it sure would make your come-to-Jesus moment sound a lot more impressive.

Hey, I’ve been there. I accepted Christ as my Savior at the age of seven. I was a “goody two-shoes” even by first grade standards.

I grew up in the Bible belt with bi-annual, week-long revival meetings being the norm. Throughout my middle and high school years I regularly traveled to churches around our area to bring the “special music.”

I would frequently hear incredibly powerful testimonies. I remember so many times telling the Lord, “I’m thankful I came to You when I did, but it sure would make my salvation story much more interesting if I’d had a chance to do some really bad stuff first.”

If you came to Christ later in life, or were not raised in the church, this may sound ludicrous to you. However, for those of you born in the pew, you know what I’m talking about.

I have a word of encouragement for my fellow faith-like-a-child believers. Those who came to Jesus in the purest form of child-like faith. Responding to the very first tugs of the Creator on the strings of your soul.

Let’s be very clear. In God’s eyes a sin is a sin. No one sin is any greater (or worse) than the other. And it only takes one sin to put an inseperable span between us and the perfection of our Almighty God.

Nonetheless, I hear this sentiment echoed by so many who, apart from being born with a sin nature, had little time to do any really “dramatic” sins. You feel you don’t have a very strong testimony. You reason there really isn’t much to tell.

I too have heard these same discouraging lies whispered in my ear when listening to someone give a gut-wrenching testimony of how they were high and in prison when suddenly the power of God reached down and rocked their world. These stories are awesome witnesses to the power of our great God to reach into the deepest pit and radically change a life.

But how does my story of a seven-year-old girl stepping out in faith in a Friday night revival meeting and saying, “Yes, I want Jesus in my heart,” hold any weight to impact people with real problems?

I remember clearly one spring morning, sitting on a dew-covered park bench in Washington D.C., talking to God... Okay, so maybe it was more like whining, about the lack of dramatic flair in my own salvation experience. As my soul and spirit wrestled within me, the Lord opened my eyes to this truth: It’s not about me!

I must remember the true greatness of the salvation experience is the love of a perfect God reaching down to a ruined sinner and bridging that eternal gap by the giving of His only Son. It’s not about the one being rescued. It’s about the Rescuer.

Besides, the impact our story has on someone else is not our responsibility. God will take our obedience to share and run with it, opening doors and hearts in ways we never dreamed possible!

So don’t give in to fear or doubt that creeps in and tries to tell you that your testimony isn’t powerful or dramatic enough to bother telling. If you have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, your experience has all the elements of a great love story: a fierce battle, a painful sacrifice, a triumphant King and an eternally happy ending!

Blessings,

Jenny Zentz

Jenny is a stay-at-home mom with two amazing kids, a wonderful husband and an awesome God who keeps it all together, even when she is falling apart! Jenny says her mess is her message, and she is a firm believer in the power of transparency.

Jenny and her family live in a beachside town on Florida’s central Atlantic coast. You can find and connect with Jenny on her blog at www.JennyZentz.com where her mission is to help women discover practical ways to apply the power of God’s Word to their everyday stuff! You can also follow her on Facebook @JennyZentz.