Are we self indulgent when giving our testimony?

[Lonewolf]

When one becomes a new creature in the Lord, one wants to pass it on., we want the whole world to know., we want everyone to experience the truth which has come into our life and given us peace.. All we so-called born-again Christians go through that phase., but then, as the years and experiences and maturing goes on and by, we become more -for lack of a better term- in tune with reality and what is hype., and so when we hear testimonies of those who tell and re-tell their stories, we become like, yeah alright, whatever brother, I've heard it a thousand times, please don't give it to me again.

There used to be a time when I was excited to tell my story., there was a time when I felt it needed to be told and heard., there was a time when that story helped to raise monies for good causes, and it did., but now I don't see my story as a powerful testament of a saved life., now I see my story as just one more in a long long long list of stories that sound the same., so i wonder, could it be true? could my testimony be irrelevant in today's world of hi-tech and readily accessible information?

Does a new born Christian really have nothing new to tell that will wow and amaze the listener? Has it all been said and re-said?

Has the world become numb to such testimony, and have us Christians as well become cold to such a newborn's experience?

Have we become too cynical in our critique?

Too savvy for simple little stories of personal salvation by some?

Que piensas tu? What do you think?

[PaulSacramento]

I rarely tell me story to anyone, why?
Because it is about ME and how Christ came to me, which means it has very little to do with anyone else.
Our stories serve to show the MANY different ways Christ comes to those that believe in Him, that is really ALL that they do though.

[melanie]

I like simplicity, it has a beauty that is raw and tangible.
We are born to connect with each other, I would go so far to say that human connection apart from a relationship with The Lord, is the most common, sought after, universal, important experience any of us can have.
It crosses all boundaries, genders, cultural backgrounds, and language barriers. It brings us to a forum like this, it causes us to seek a life partner, find life-long friends, even friends that only serve a purpose for a short time, to strike a conversation with the person in the line next to us at the supermarket.
We are born to connect and share. Every single person has a story worth telling, a piece of wisdom, a humour that lights up a smile. Every time we interact we are giving a piece of our story, a part of us, in the smallest of everyday interaction.
We are all self indulgent when we interact with others on any level, it is serving the most basic, intrinsic, fundamental desire that all humans have which is to connect.
When you tie these two most important fundamental human experiences together, the need to connect with God and the need to connect with others, I think it becomes evidently clear why we should be exceptional listeners. To be a really good listener means to cherish other peoples desire to express themselves more than your desire to express yourself. Give people the stage for 5 minutes when they need it, perhaps the real message isn't 'what' their saying, but 'why' they are saying it. The 'why' tells us what they value, the 'what' is really just details. The 'what' are all the details Christians give about their testimony, the 'why' is because they are experiencing the life changing salvation our saviour brings. That is the good news!! That is what Our Father, Jesus and the Heavenly Angels rejoice at every time one of us are brought to The Lord, I think we should rejoice also. Our Father is never complacent, we should not be. Jesus is never disinterested and neither should we be. When someone is brought to The Almighty and their story may be a dime a dozen, to them it's the most significant thing to have ever happened to them, and we need to bring the enthusiasm and joy that Jesus would want us to share.
Christians should help shine the light on each of our journeys otherwise it could be a rather dim lit path, without enough light that's when we start to take wrong turns.

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

Que piensas tu? What do you think?

Conversion stories are largely of no relevance to the message of the Gospel, although they do have some entertainment value. They are like a sweet dessert: a small one is OK at the end of something substantial but too much and they spoil the main course...for me, that is. A lot of people adore sweets, though, and suffer from malnutrition as a result

FL

[Lonewolf]

I wonder how many times the apostle Paul gave testimony of his conversion, and how much he elaborated on that conversion?

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

I wonder how many times the apostle Paul gave testimony of his conversion, and how much he elaborated on that conversion?

Paul's conversion is part of the Bible and is important to all Christians. Mine isn't, nor is yours.

FL

[melanie]

Que piensas tu? What do you think?

Conversion stories are largely of no relevance to the message of the Gospel, although they do have some entertainment value. They are like a sweet dessert: a small one is OK at the end of something substantial but too much and they spoil the main course...for me, that is. A lot of people adore sweets, though, and suffer from malnutrition as a result

FL

Really FL?? Conversion stories are largely of no relevance to the message of the gospel, hmmm, so what is the message of the gospel if not to convert our hearts away from the world and into the body of Christ? A mere history of what occurred, it is so much more than a list of events. It is the living, breathing word of God, to inspire us through the living, breathing Holy Spirit that dwells within, to change us, to convert our hearts to Jesus. It contains many inspiring stories and teachings of the power of The Lord to convert our thinking, beliefs and hearts.
Testimony literally means 'to witness for Christ' that witness is not there for your brief entertainment value or your mild amusement, it serves a wonderful, vitally important role in the body of Christ. The early church would never have reached the ears of many if not for their 'witnessing for Christ' their 'testimony'. Do you think we have reached a time in the history of the church that this outreach and witnessing is no longer important? Do you really think in their 'witnessing' that they didn't incorporate their own personal experiences of salvation along with the preaching of the bible?
What does being alive in Christ mean to you? Are you placing your lamp under your bed or putting it on a lamp stand so it lights up the whole room?
Every single 'witness' for Christ and every single conversion and every single member of the body of Christ is so important, not only to God, but to every single one of us. We all play different instruments, different notes, in a beautifully orchestrated symphony. Can we walk without feet? Or tie our shoelaces without hands?
1 Corinthians 12:14-18
Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.
Now if the foot should say "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body" It would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body" It would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted them to be.
This is a team approach, we are not in this to selfishly gain salvation for ourselves. Every conversion to our family has been orchestrated by Our Father, they are placed herein by His hand, to serve His purpose. Every conversion, yours, mine, is part of The Almighty's plan, they are our feet, our ears, our hands.

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

Really FL?? Conversion stories are largely of no relevance to the message of the gospel...

yes, really. My conversion story is irrelevant to the gospel, and so is yours.

so what is the message of the gospel if not to convert our hearts away from the world and into the body of Christ? A mere history of what occurred, it is so much more than a list of events. It is the living, breathing word of God, to inspire us through the living, breathing Holy Spirit that dwells within, to change us, to convert our hearts to Jesus. It contains many inspiring stories and teachings of the power of The Lord to convert our thinking, beliefs and hearts.

Agreed. I have no problem with what you wrote, immediately above, but the canon was closed before my birth so my conversion story is not part of the gospel.

Testimony literally means 'to witness for Christ' that witness is not there for your brief entertainment value or your mild amusement, [personal testimony] serves a wonderful, vitally important role in the body of Christ.

Perhaps...maybe. But I doubt it, really. I don't doubt the entertainment value of such stories, and I would agree that they may be an aid to witnessing to certain people. However, conversion stories have never interested me: I'm not easily bowled over by emotions.

Do you think we have reached a time in the history of the church that this outreach and witnessing is no longer important?

Hold your horses. You are extrapolating, above.

Do you really think in [the apostles'] 'witnessing' that they didn't incorporate their own personal experiences of salvation along with the preaching of the bible?

I'm sure some did.

What does being alive in Christ mean to you? Are you placing your lamp under your bed or putting it on a lamp stand so it lights up the whole room?

The above questions are leading and irrelevant to the topic.

Every single 'witness' for Christ and every single conversion and every single member of the body of Christ is so important, not only to God, but to every single one of us. We all play different instruments, different notes, in a beautifully orchestrated symphony. Can we walk without feet? Or tie our shoelaces without hands?

WoW! you sure are poetic!

This is a team approach, we are not in this to selfishly gain salvation for ourselves. Every conversion to our family has been orchestrated by Our Father, they are placed herein by His hand, to serve His purpose. Every conversion, yours, mine, is part of The Almighty's plan, they are our feet, our ears, our hands.

You write well. You could be a speech writer.

FL

[PaulSacramento]

Paul's conversion was important because of who and what he was prior and his mission after.
His conversation made him an apostle since he saw the living Christ, his authority to proclaim the gospel came from Christ so his conversion was crucial in legitimizing his apostolic authority.

[theophilus]

One way we are to glorify God is to tell others what he has done. That includes telling how he saved us from our sins. Telling our conversion stories isn't about us; it is about God. If we tell how he saved us this might help others to see that he can save them too.

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble.
(Psalm 107:2 ESV)

[Lonewolf]

Paul's conversion was important because of who and what he was prior and his mission after.
His conversation made him an apostle since he saw the living Christ, his authority to proclaim the gospel came from Christ so his conversion was crucial in legitimizing his apostolic authority.

Is not a new born believer convert to Christ also duty-bound to proclaim the "power" of Christ? ., same as Saul?

Is not that personal conversion and "testimony" crucial in proclaiming to others?

And is not that conversion filled with "authority" by the power of the Holy Spirit?

I ask (?)

[theophilus]

I became a Christian as a result of reading someone's personal testimony. He said that he had always believed the truth of the Bible and that Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. One day he realized that simply knowing that all of that was true wasn't enough to save him. He had to make the decision to turn from his sins and trust Jesus as his savior. When I read this I realized that I was in exactly the same state he had been in. I knew all the facts but I had never made the decision to put my faith in Jesus and receive forgiveness. At that point I made my decision to trust Jesus and was saved.

When you give your testimony there is always the chance that it will lead so someone's salvation.

[dand]

When you give your testimony there is always the chance that it will lead so someone's salvation.

I agree with you

[claysmithr]

Nobody would believe my story, it's too far out.

[RickD]

Nobody would believe my story, it's too far out.

The Lord works in mysterious ways, right?

Care to share your testimony?