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First person: Don’t be afraid to share your story

"Here’s the truth: your story matters. Your testimony matters. And even if no one believes you, there’s someone out there who desperately needs to hear it," writes Tony Martin, editor of The Baptist Record.
  • February 2, 2025
  • Mississippi's The Baptist Record
  • Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Featured, First Person, Latest News, Oklahoma
(Unsplash photo)

First person: Don’t be afraid to share your story

Have you ever felt like your story doesn’t matter? Like your testimony is too small, too messy, or too unbelievable for anyone to care? Maybe you’ve shared something deeply personal only to be met with silence, skepticism, or even rejection. It stings, doesn’t it?

But here’s the truth: your story matters. Your testimony matters. And even if no one believes you, there’s someone out there who desperately needs to hear it.

Jesus told stories.

He used parables and personal encounters to communicate deep, life-changing truths. He didn’t stand on a mountaintop and declare theological doctrines in dry, academic language. He told stories that resonated with people’s hearts. And He listened to their stories in return. When He met the woman at the well in John 4, He didn’t dismiss her past. He acknowledged it, spoke life into her, and she ran back to town proclaiming, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Messiah?” (John 4:29, ESV).

Raw testimony

Her testimony was raw. It wasn’t polished or rehearsed. And yet, because of her story, many in her town came to believe in Jesus (John 4:39). Imagine if she had stayed silent out of fear that no one would believe her.

We live in a world where doubt and cynicism are rampant. People hesitate to trust others, and sometimes it feels like sharing our faith or our personal experiences is like shouting into the wind. But our calling isn’t to be believed by everyone — it’s to be faithful in telling the truth.

In Revelation 12:11, we see the power of testimony: “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.”

Powerful weapon

Testimony is powerful. It’s a weapon against the enemy’s lies, a light in someone else’s darkness, and a reminder that none of us are walking this road alone.

Maybe you’ve walked through a painful divorce, a season of depression, a financial crisis, or a time when your faith felt like it was hanging by a thread. Maybe you’ve experienced miraculous healing, radical provision, or an encounter with God that changed everything. Whatever your story, there’s someone out there who needs to hear it.

Why? Because they are living it too. And they need to know they’re not alone.

Enemy lies

The enemy wants you to believe that your story isn’t worth telling. He whispers, “No one will believe you.” He lies, “You’re the only one who has been through this.” He tries to convince you that speaking up is pointless.

But when you share your story, you shine a light on someone else’s path. You give them hope. You remind them that God is still at work, still faithful, still redeeming broken things.

Walking through this life can feel like a lonely journey, but when we share our testimonies, we help others on their journey. We remind one another that we are seen, we are heard, and we are deeply loved by a God who writes redemption into every chapter of our stories.

So, don’t be afraid to speak. Even if your voice shakes. Even if people roll their eyes. Even if you think no one is listening. Because someone is.

Maybe they’re sitting in the back of the church, too scared to come forward for prayer. Maybe they’re scrolling through social media at 2 AM, searching for any sign that God is real. Maybe they’re sitting in their car, crying because they don’t know how to take the next step.

And maybe — just maybe — your story is exactly what they need to hear.

‘Tell it with courage’

So tell it. Tell it with courage. Tell it with honesty. Tell it with the conviction that God is using you, even when you can’t see it.

Because to hear the story and testimony of one another is to walk each other home.


EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Tony Martin and originally published by The Baptist Record.

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