Testimony

I mentioned in my last post that there were two things that struck me about II Timothy. The first was that amazing scripture (which, by the way, the phrase 'complete patience' has been running through my head since I read it...can you say 'conviction?') and the second is Paul.

Paul tells Timothy not to be ashamed of his testimony in Jesus Christ. He reminds him that God has saved us and called us, not because of anything we have done, but because He has His own purpose for us. What Paul is not saying is that we have been called in spite of anything we have done.

I stumbled upon this video this morning. I wept. Please watch it.



Occasionally, I am guilty of thinking that my testimony isn't as powerful as someone else's. I haven't been addicted to drugs. I've never battled any kind of disease. My parents are not only still alive, but they're still happily married. I haven't done anything exceptionally bad. I've never even drank alcohol and I'm still a virgin. What could I possibly have to share?

What struck me about this video is that not all of the testimonies are drug addiction or cancer battling huge. Some of them are just ordinary 'sideline Christian' or 'anger controlling me' bad. But, when they flip over those signs and reveal how God has healed their individual brokenness, their testimony is no less amazing.

My God is in the business of restoration and redemption. And, the truth is, we all need it. And, when I say that my testimony isn't that amazing, I am saying that I didn't need God as much as someone else did. But, I did. Because I am arrogant. I'm a liar. I've made plenty of poor choices. And, chief among those poor choices, was to choose to do things on my own.

But, Jesus came down and restored me. He picked up all my broken pieces and breathed new life into them. And, that is a testimony of which I should not be ashamed. And, here is the really beautiful part. After God restored me, after He worked the beauty of redemption, He called me to a holy calling. He made a deposit in my life, as Paul calls it. And, Paul says, 'I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard until that Day what He has entrusted to me.' God has restored me. He has called me. He has made an investment in my life. And, some day, He is expecting a return on that investment. He is expecting that I will be able to carry out His plans.

Me.

Broken, arrogant, fickle, dishonest, mean, vain, and human.

He trusts me to carry out His plans and make good on His investment in my life.

Redemption is amazing. And, I have a pretty awesome testimony. I am not ashamed.