“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” Revelation 12:11
Stories are meant to be shared. That is why they are created. Stories can be entertaining, informative, or persuasive. Our testimonies have the power to be transformative. “If you knew the extent of what a person had to endure to have the impact, empathy, and outlook they have today, you wouldn’t be intimidated. You would be empowered.” Morgan Richard Olivier
“Your calling is going to crush you. If you are called to mend to the brokenhearted, you are going to wrestle with a broken heart. If you are called to heal God’s little ones, you are going to experience your own share of trauma. If you’re called to preach and teach the gospel, you will be sifted for the wisdom that anoints your message. If you are called to empower, your self-esteem will be attacked- your successes hard fought. Your calling will come with spiritual warfare and a sifting – both are necessary for your mantle to be authentic, humble and powerful.
Your crushing won’t be easy because your assignment is not easy – and you can’t minister powerfully what you haven’t walked out. Read that sentence again. When you’re feeling the weight of it coming down on you, run to the Father who longs to be your comfort. Let him whisper your true identity over you while resting under the shadow of his wings. Position yourself against his heartbeat. Let him renew your strength and set your eyes forward. No olives, no oil. No grapes, no wine. Your oil is not cheap my friend.” By Hannah Williamson.
This journey we travel called life can be difficult. It can be wonderful and beautiful too, but no one is guaranteed a simple or easy path, in fact we are guaranteed struggles and periods of suffering to prove the genuineness of our faith. The book of James mentions the refining fire heating us to allow the impurities to settle at the bottom and the silver to rise to the top. Francis Chan said this happens in us so that God can see His own reflection shining back at Him from our lives.
In the letter Pual wrote to Titus, he tells the importance of elder society members mentoring younger ones in the proper way to live according to Christ. We are meant to mentor. We are called to community. One of the most basic needs in humanity is belonging.
We are not alone. The hardships we face are the same ones that have plagued humanity from the start. The devil is sly and does his best to convince us that other people don’t
struggle. They have everything together. If we ask questions or open up about our, we will be judged harshly as the only one who doesn’t have life figured out.
Isolation is a deadly tactic the devil uses. We must stay connected and pour into each other’s lives. The future generations depend on it. When we open our eyes to the needs around us, we see the young wife who needs assurance and encouragement and to learn from the mature wife’s mistakes. We will see the person with physical pain needing a hug and prayer and a promise that though the body may fail, the spirit is renewed. We will see the youth needing reassurance that their mental and emotional pain is validated, but there is a way to overcome it. Paulo Coelho wrote, “ The world is changed by your example not your opinion.” People need the gritty truth we have worked out by holding onto God’s promises, not the pages of a self help book on the world’s best seller’s list.
It’s in the sharing of our stories in real time and in retrospect that speak volumes about our faith. We are built for community. I like to envision an Old Testament community where they dwelled in tents and made a habit of going to neighbor’s homes to cook together, go to the well to get water together for protection, sharing life while doing chores because it was safer for women to stick together. It’s still essential for women to stick together and men to stick together. We’ve just become so distanced because of society’s “perks”.
Your story matters. Berne Brown said, “One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will be someone else’s survival guide.” It’s God’s work in us that proves He is who He says he is. When we have the fruits of the Spirit despite what the world says you should feel and do.
“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” John 4:39