When it comes to life and figuring out our purpose in life, many of us have a difficult time figuring out what that purpose is and how to go about living out that purpose. Some of us meander through life feeling like we have no purpose at all. Truth is, we all have a purpose that God has laid out and entrusted to us. What the details of every individuals purpose is, is up to that specific individual to embrace, nurture, and work diligently at. The same applies to ministry. Many of us (Christians) struggle with what should our ministry be -- or what ministry should we devote our time to help build. We all have one ministry in common -- the ministry of testimony.
I'm no exception when it came to figuring out , ultimately, what my purpose was on this earth. It would frustrate me mightily at times. I have many interests and talents but didn't always know how to put them to use. I knew that whatever my purpose would ultimately be, I wanted it to center around serving people. Being a positive influence on people and bringing a smile to their face has always been a priority to me. I want people to equate me with joy, wisdom and positivity. I just didn't know how to execute it. It took years, and quite frankly, life in general to reveal it to me.
We all know that the root word of testimony is test. Sometimes that is an oversight in our thought process when we think of our testimony. We like to most remember the triumph portion of our testimony. But the main course of testimony comes from pain, struggle, loss, addiction, disappointment, failure, rejection, letdowns, hang-ups, insecurities, separation, divorce --all trials and tribulations. There could be no testimony without the test. The road to your triumph must go through the fire -- your faith must be tested, because in this life, nothing comes easy. Even our Christian walk will be tested. Matter of fact, our Christian walk is tested every day. Some days we win our battles -- some days we in fact lose. But the awesome thing about God is that he provides us with grace AND mercy. Everyday is a new opportunity to begin again. When you overcome something that you've been struggling with, that in itself is a testimony. There are others who are around you who may be trying to overcome the same battle(s). Your testimony could be the dose of medicine that they need to help them through their pain and struggle. You're not the only person that the enemy is attacking. His job is to steal souls. He depends on us not giving his prey a sense of empowerment over what the enemy has for them. That is what your testimony is to those who are at their weakest point, or spiritually drained. When some think of testimony, they get kind of uneasy. They get uneasy because they think of getting in front of a congregation with a microphone in front of their face and speaking to people -- many of whom they do not know and vice versa. Many are afraid of people judging them -- rightfully so. Whether you want to admit it or not, churches are filled with so many who will cast judgement on folks. Testimony doesn't have to be done in front of a congregation or a mass of people to be validated -- just like prayer doesn't.
A few days ago, a close friend of mine shared with me how her brother was going through a divorce and how hard he was taking it. She had in fact gone through a divorce some years ago herself and explained the hurt and pain that she went through as a result from the divorce. Her brother is going through irreparable pain and she had an idea of what he was going through. She shared with me that that made her know that she went through what she went through for a reason -- to help her brother through his pain and suffering. That is what it's all about -- helping people push through their storms.
Ministry doesn't have to be advertised blinking in neon lights or posted on some billboard somewhere for it to be considered ministry. You don't need an official title or business card that states who you are and what your ministry is. You do not have to be ordained and carry around oil in order to minister to people. You may not realize it, but you've ministered to people over the phone, at a dinner table, or even at Starbucks over a cup of coffee. Many people see your smile and see the new you but have no clue as to what hell you've been through to get to where you are now. Sometimes we are still in the midst of our test on the way to our testimony and are still able to smile through it all. People need to know that no matter what it is or what they face, everything will be okay. So just know that the next time that you share your testimony, you could possibly be ministering to a broken, battered and bruised soul. Your testimony just might be the jump-start to their testimony.
