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The Story I Tell

Witness. Such a simple commission that Jesus left for us. Tell the world about His resurrection and about God's love for them. Are you doing it? 

I never felt like witnessing was something I did well. As a kid, I was a bit over-zealous (I know this may come as a shock to some of you who have know me since childhood), and I ended up pushing people away. When I reached my teen years, I wanted to fit in, but my Christianity showed. Then my world changed and my heart became hard. I began building walls. I was able to play the part of the Christian, but my heart was growing cancerous bitterness toward God and others that no one knew about except me.

Fast forward several years, marriage, and two children later. God, with the help of my husband, showed me grace and unconditional love when the ugly parts of what was inside of me began to reveal themselves. I should have been rejected for the haphazard way I lived. But God gave me another chance. And the change was so real. 

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him‭‭. (Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

It's hard for me to pinpoint a time before now that I felt this attached to my Creator. As a child, I wanted to tell the world about Jesus so people wouldn't die and go to hell, a fate I was terrified of. As a teenager, my timidity left me without the right words, and I often came across as "holier than thou." That was never my intention. Until God removed the mask of what I was pretending to be and helped me show the world what He did inside of me, I don't think I was an effective witness.

Don't get me wrong. I still don't want people to die and go to hell. But instead of preaching at them constantly, I understand that my actions, along with my words, tell the story of God's redemption and unconditional love. 

People need the hope of Jesus, especially right now. Our world is in chaos, and things will get worse. Because of the Holy Spirit, the story I tell will be a witness to the loving heart of Christ. And that’s what it means to witness. Tell your story and watch God do the rest.



© Jill Cook and Unbroken & Undone Ministries.  All rights reserved.

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