They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony… (Revelation 12:11, NIV)
I’ve spoken at numerous churches in my travels and attended many more services than that, and in all of those services, I’ve never heard the definition of faith explained so simplistically, yet so profoundly as I did earlier this month at the Bedford First Church of God in Southern Indiana.
Pastor Travis Inman took us to “The Faith Chapter”–Hebrews Chapter 11–and we began reading:
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation…
It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering than Cain did…It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying…It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood…It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old…
Pastor Travis said, “So basically, this chapter is filled with stories of people’s faith, right? So when I ask you about your faith, I’m really asking, ‘Hey, what’s your story?’”
I love that!
How simple, yet how true. Sure, there are many theological definitions of what faith is and what faith is not, but really, what people want to know is this–how has your faith in God affected your life? In other words, what’s your story?
To further drive home the point, the awesome praise and worship band played while various members of the congregation came to the platform, each holding a cardboard sign with writing on both sides.
One particular woman held up a sign that said: “Diagnosed with brain cancer” but when she flipped it over, it read: “Totally healed!”
Another woman held up a sign: “Always felt insecure and suffered from anxiety.” She smiled the biggest, most confident smile and flipped over her sign that read: “Standing up here in front of you today!”
Cheers rang out from the congregation.
One by one, each person shared his or her faith story via a piece of cardboard. I’ll never forget that service. I left feeling so encouraged and uplifted, knowing that God is no respecter of persons, and what he did for each of those people on the platform, he would do for me.
I thought about how many different signs I could hold up that would tell a part of my faith story. God has done so many miracles–both big and small–in my life (one of them depicted in the photo at right), that I’m not sure there’d be room for all of my signs on a single platform. To God be the glory!
How about you? How many cardboard signs would you have to write? What would yours say?
You see, the world doesn’t care about theological definitions. People are looking for something or someone to fill the void in their lives. They are searching for answers. They are desperate for breakthroughs and miracles. They need what we have!
But most of those people in need of a Savior–a Savior who has all of the answers, breakthroughs and miracles–will never set foot inside a church, for fear of rejection and judgment.
That’s why it’s so important that we share our faith stories whenever we have the opportunity. Through our testimonies, we can offer encouragement and hope!
And, there’s something quite powerful about sharing your story. It seems the more I share what God has done for me, how he has healed me, and how he has blessed me, the more encouraged I become.
The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing, so not only are you building up others’ faith when you share your story, but also you’re building up your own faith! It’s a win/win! So, c’mon! Be a walking billboard of faith today because somebody needs to hear your story.
