What’s In Your Testimony?

What’s in your testimony? Is it a life lesson or wisdom that is passed on? Everyone has a testimony regardless of whether it’s one that you feel comfortable sharing or not. There are situations and circumstances that have brought insight not just to ourselves but to others as well. Have you ever wondered how you know that you have grown in your faith? Do you question whether you have become stagnant or whether you have gotten as far as you are going to go? Would you be willing to share your testimony if it meant saving someone from going through a rough period because of a decision? Everyone has a testimony whether you are a believer or not. When we think in terms of biblical testimony, we expect to hear about how a person was led to Christ or how God did something during a specific event or time period that was miraculous. When you live long enough, you recognize how your faith has grown because of the way that you respond.

The picture above is a 2021 Toyota Corolla that was two years old with mileage under 24,000 miles. Great gas mileage, Economically sound. Smooth ride. Rear camera (with a quality better than some televisions). Car payments. Ick! On a Friday afternoon when I returned from work, the car was parked in the driveway sitting pretty. It was 5:00 p.m. By 8:30 p.m. the Corolla that I affectionately called “Princess” (Yes, I name all of my automobiles)  had been extinguished in a horrible death: an accident. I get a phone call from a family member’s phone only to hear the local police at the other end. The policeman called to inform me that Princess had been in an accident, but my family member was alive and well. That was the good news! As I have had time to sit and really think about this incident, I realized that my reaction was so much different than the way I may have reacted twenty years ago.

I must tell you that I was not angry, and I was thankful that my family member was well. Years ago, I may have been so upset that my new car had been destroyed. I may have held a grudge and carried anger for a long time. However, this incident reminded me of what Jesus said in Luke 12:15: “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” The lesson that I have learned in life is that cars and other material things can be replaced, but people can not. We live in a world where material possessions are an outward sign of success. With that success, our compassion for humanity has diminished. That is not how we have been called to live. If you were to leave this earth today, will people remember you by the amount of materialism that your life represents or will you be remembered by your outward living and giving to others. What’s your legacy?

In order to leave a legacy, my hope is to have my priorities in place. A wise principal once told me, “I am going to give you the priorities for living. First is your faith. Second is your family. Third is any and everything that comes up after that.” Over the years, I have never forgotten this statement, nor have I forgotten the man who showed us how to live by these instructions. If I had taken the stance that my life is ruined because my car is totaled, I may have missed an opportunity to show others what the response should look like or the opportunity to speak with people who couldn’t understand my response. This incident was a message to me of who I serve and where my faith lies. The outcome of this accident could have ended tragically and could have involved other innocent people, but it didn’t. That is a great deal to give thanks for in this situation. Thinking about what could have been versus what is, I am also reminded of God-Worship from Matthew 6:19-34(MSG).

 “Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moths and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.

 “Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a musty cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!

 “You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t worship God and Money both.

 “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

 “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

I am thankful to be able to share this story. Since this accident, God has provided other transportation. He has also answered other prayers. I can’t say that I miss “Princess” because I take satisfaction and comfort in a healthy family member. I rejoice in being able to share this story with some great people and explain why our riches are not made of material things in this world. If you want to measure your faith, ask yourself what you idolize and that answer will tell you who you serve. Think about it. What’s your testimony?

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