A Living Testimony

Oh to have the courage of Esther, willing to give her life to save her people. Or the faith of Moses who stretched his staff over a sea to part the waters and rescue a nation. Or the legacy of Abraham, the father of nations.

Not me. I'm just a mom. A wife. A homemaker. I don't lead the kingdom of God. I'm just a little fish in a very, very, very big pond. My life is nothing special.

Have you ever felt that way? Like a nobody.

Of course, that is not how God sees you. Or me. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a perfect plan for our lives, a plan that prospers, gives us hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 wasn't a promise for those Bible guys generations ago. That promise is for us all. God has a plan. A testimony. For you. For me.

A few years ago, I hurt a friend of mine. I didn't mean to, but yet... I did. It ate me up inside. I asked God to forgive me. Eventually, I got the courage to ask her to forgive me. Suprisingly, she did, just like that. Our story is a testimony of forgiveness and friendship lived the way God intends. When I asked forgiveness, my kids knew about it. They saw me model humility. When she forgave, I received grace. My kids learned how beautiful Godly forgiveness is.

Second Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" No matter what struggles you faced before or what you face now, your life is a testimony of Jesus' love. Whatever challenges you face, whether big or small, your life is your testimony. Will you share it?

A friend of mine shared recently that she's been asking God to give her a testimony. She said she wants to be a living testimony. She may not see it yet, but she already is. We all are. When we ask God why we have the experiences, the friends, the family, the problems, the temperament, the history that we do, He reveals that plan -- not all at once, but eventually. When we ask Him for opportunity to encourage others, He provides the opportunity to live that plan out. We just need to ask.

If you face a health challenge, whether it's something "big" like cancer or more personal like a battle with weight, God has a plan for you in this struggle. Ask Him to show you how He wants to use your situation to make a difference in others' lives.

Is your marriage falling apart? Ask God to help you be a witness of His love to your spouse. Pray, too, for the opportunity to glorify God no matter what challenge you face. Whether your marriage ends or not, God can be glorified by how you live through it. Trust Him. Look to Him for love... and the ability to love.

Do you have a special needs child? A strong willed child? A wayward child? Trust God with their lives. Live in hope and confidence. Trust Him to give you the wisdom you need to parent His way.

We have a choice. We can see ourselves as too insignificant to matter and simply exist. Or, we can acknowledge God, in all things, and be a testimony of His love every day.

Will you be a living testimony?