Is Your Testimony A Secret?
Tanya James
As a pastor's kid, I naturally grew up in church and was taught at an early age Biblical principles. However, like many over time I strayed away from those morals and values and thought that I was in control of my own life. And being in control meant I thought I could pick and chose which principals I applied to my life and which ones I ignored.
While trying to do things my way, I made some very bad decisions especially in the area of sexual immorality. I completely made my own rules in that area - yet I proclaimed to be a saved and sanctified Christian. You could find me serving in various ministries and I was in service every week both Sunday's and mid-week. Yes, I was living two completely different lives.
Overall, I was able to keep my double life under wraps. Most people had no idea how caught up in sexual sins I was. So when the day came that I finally fully committed my life to Christ and decided that I was going to live a life of abstinence until marriage ...I was delighted that I had been successful in keeping my sexual sins private.
And now, that I was going to follow God's word as it related to that area ... no one ever had to know about my past.
Through prayer and truly seeking God, those sexual strong holds and addictions were broken in my life. It wasn't an easy journey by any means...BUT GOD.
I definitely had a testimony but one NO ONE could dare know about ...so I thought.
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord." Isaiah 55:8
God had a different plan. He gave me an assignment ... one that I ran from for YEARS! I was to pen a book about both my struggle and my testimony.
A BOOK?? God, are you serious? Not only am I putting my business on the street but in PRINT for people to see and read for years to come. I was horrified until I realized sharing my testimony would not only help someone in the same struggle, but also could keep someone from making some of the same mistakes I made.
You too have a testimony. It may not be in the same area as mine, but if God has healed you, delivered you, redeemed you, saved you...do not be afraid to share your story. If we remain afraid of what someone else may think of what we did, or where we once were...people around us will remain in their cycles of destruction.
Be willing to show your scars, so someone else doesn't have to get those same scars. You may have done those things people will learn about; but you are no longer that person!
"Therefore, of anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." II Corinthians 5:17
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