Write Your Personal Faith Story

Has anyone ever asked you to give your testimony?  Do people often say, “You should write a book”?  Do you want to leave a record of your faith for your children and grandchildren?

It does not matter why:  writing about your faith journey is a great endeavor. It helps you see and share the ways God loves and cares for His own. Our journey to Christ is a continual thing.  We don’t have just one story or testimony.  A living faith creates new stories every day.   Once you begin your story, you may want to keep adding to it!

God calls us long before we hear Him, let alone respond to Him.  We can only see what we look at, so looking toward Jesus helps us see the fingerprints of God on our lives.  To begin with, think back on your spiritual heritage.  Let the Spirit guide your thoughts and direct your writing.  Tell the story of your faith with your eyes on God, so others can see Him.  Hebrews 12:2 is a great frame for preparing your story!  Use the questions below to get your thoughts rolling:

•  Did you go to church as a child? How did you get there and who did you go with?
• What was your favorite part? What was not comfortable?
• Did you stop going? If so, why?
• Who was the first person who told you about Jesus?
• What does friendship with Jesus look like to you?

We are called to grow in grace and knowledge. Our roots must be in grace and knowledge before we can produce! Knowing is good, but it is only the beginning.  If we stay at just knowing, we are like the devil and his demons: they know God but they do not have faith in Him.  Trusting in the truth does not just happen; it usually comes as a result of a crisis.  Consider the questions below and share how God revealed Himself during the tough times:

• Has it ever felt like your prayers were unheard or that God ignored you?
• When did you doubt that the things you read in the Bible were true for you? (E.g. Did you not feel the love of God or His power? Did it seem like you were the abandoned child and God only loves someone else?)
• Have you been disappointed by those you thought were godly, or, at least more godly than you?
• When have you needed the peace that only God could provide?
• Have you ever had to make a sacrifice for your faith? Have you been ridiculed for your belief?

Faith is very personal and must be grappled with on an individual basis.  We need each other, though, to truly see God.  And we all share some common transition points in life that we can easily relate to another’s experience.  Those crisis points are important windows for seeing God and helping others see Him.  Let the Holy Spirit remind you of the fingerprints of God in such times as these:

•  Loss of a loved one
• Celebrations: graduations, promotions, marriage, births
• A move

Not all growth is from hard times, though.  There are “disciplines” of faith that move us into more Christ-likeness.  Scripture encourages us to spend time with other believers, to read and study our Bibles, to pray, to minister in His name and to sing among other things.

• What has helped you grow spiritually the most? How has it helped you?
• What changes in your life have you made to honor God–in obedience to God?
• Are there sacraments that are particularly meaningful to you (i.e. baptism, communion)?
• Do you share the story of your salvation experience or how your faith impacts your life?
• Do you have a favorite hymn or passage of Scripture?
• What are your goals for growth? Where do you see God asking you to trust Him more?

TBL will be launching a Testimony site soon. Would you be willing to share your story with us? 

Let us know if you would like to receive word of the site launch by commenting below!