Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1538071
Witnesses share how God has transformed their lives. They proclaim to others how they came to forgive, surrender, believe, hope and love. Witnesses tell stories from their own experience that shed light on how Jesus Christ continues his mission to save souls today. These stories are commonly referred to as testimonies, and your testimony in particular is incredibly important to God's work today. WHY GIVE TESTIMONY? One of the reasons the Holy Spirit lives in you is to give power to your testimony. Testimonies, in general, are compelling. There are several rea- sons for this. First, testimonies are hard to argue against. Someone cannot simply dis- agree with your testimony, like they could if you were explaining why Peter was the first pope. They can only try to discredit you by attributing your expe- rience of God to some other phenom- enon or calling you a liar. Either way, a rebuttal borders on a personal attack, and most people realize that that's just rude. If you're the type of person who gets nervous about the possibility of an argument, testimonies are the way to go for evangelizing others. Another reason testimonies effec- tively communicate God's goodness is that they are practical. Often, when the faithful hear someone teach on the spiritual life, they are intrigued but generally lack clarity regarding the practicals. I used to help a priest lead day retreats at our parish. He possessed an unparalleled conviction about what God wanted for us and the need for our response. He would preach passionately, "Prayer is for moving your heart! I pray to open my heart to God to change me!" While many of our hearts burned with desire for God, none of us could figure out how to move our hearts while we prayed or what exactly he meant by any of it! Testimonies bridge this gap. When people hear your story about how God moved in your life and changed you, it shines light on the practical. Testimonies show people Testimonies show people what it looks like, what it feels like, for God to do something amazing in our lives."