Luke 8:39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

It is easier to find people asking God for things than being grateful. When one prayer is answered, we move on to the next without properly acknowledging God. Some people hardly thank God and even if they do, it’s just for a few minutes when a prayer leader says so and it ends there. If thanking God in the place of privacy is even a challenge, then going public about what God has done would be more challenging.

In the scripture above, Jesus told this man delivered from demons to go out and tell others what had been done for him. This is one of the places in scripture where Jesus actually charged someone to tell of His works. In Mark 1:43-45 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” Instead, he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere. It’s not that Jesus didn’t want the man to testify, He needed him to follow the due order of showing himself to the priest to confirm his healing before letting others know.

A testimony is basically a public narration of an experience. This means it’s not just about you but meant for the upliftment of others. In doing this, the focus must always be to glorify God. Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Many people now see giving testimonies as irrelevant and when another person does it, it seems awkward. If someone can easily post on social media, a picture of someone they are in a romantic relationship with (they aren’t even married to the person yet), then I don’t see what’s awkward about letting others know on that same platform, what God has done for you.

You don’t have to go into details and mention the amount of money your new job pays or the price of the house you bought. I usually share testimonies of how I got a good grade in an exam when I least expected it or a time when I was sick and prayed for healing or the times the Holy Spirit led me to do something and I saw results after acting on that Word. Another problem is the fact that people think that testimonies have to be about material things. Anytime the Holy Spirit corrects me, I am grateful and I let Him know how thankful I am and share it with my siblings when we are having a conversation.

When I am overwhelmed with a lot of activities and I successfully go through a week, I show gratitude. When He provides for me by leading someone to give me anything, I am appreciative. The truth is that the more you thank God and express that gratitude, the more He does it. When I thank God for leading me, He even leads me more in unpredictable ways. The more grateful I am for His provision, the more doors He opens in that area.

Hebrews 2:12 I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly, I will sing your praises. Psalm 66:16 Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. 

My brothers once told me how some people were calling me names because I was always giving a testimony. The fact that I give a testimony doesn’t mean I don’t have issues. I have a lot of them but I choose to focus on the ones God has solved for me. Honestly, I am an introvert and love my privacy. I usually don’t like people getting into my business so I don’t always feel like saying certain things God does for me but I have come to the place of understanding the importance of sharing what God has done. If I want to remain shy, there are a lot of things I wouldn’t do, and this website is one of those things. As a matter of fact, the testimonies I give would benefit me too because I know that through that, the blessing would be established. The leper who came back to testify of his healing to Jesus was made whole.

The rate of flow of blessings in your life is a function of your gratitude level.

Of course, I don’t share everything because there are some testimonies that are for the future, I need to mature to a certain level before I can share those experiences.

Start from somewhere. Share how God came through for you with friends, family, colleagues at work, or at church. It doesn’t have to be crazy, just in its simplest form. Once a conversation is going on regarding that issue, you can figure a way to push that in. Post it on your page, story, or status to inspire someone. They could learn a principle you used and improve their lives. Remember Luke 12:8 I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God.

• faith