I grew up in a Christian family in a very small town in Saskatchewan, a town so small that I didn't have christian friends. By 3 years old I was enjoying Sunday School. When I was around 5 years old, at church during the hymn singing of my own accord I told God that I was His and He was mine or perhaps He was telling me and I responded. It was a moment soon forgotten but looking back I believe it was a significant agreement. As a teenager I didn't live or act different than my non-christian friends other than I didn't party as hard. I liked to read the bible at times and we as a family did family bible reading and questions after dinner for a few years. I remember we read "the book of Job" from The Living Bible translation and we were all quite surprised and gripped by the story and how interesting the bible can be.
In my 20s I moved to 'the big city' of Regina and now I had christian friends and roommate. My friends and I went hard after God attending bible studies and weekly evangelical church services. But in the end I felt that I never connected with God in the way I wanted or expected I would. Then one day I notice that I am slipping backwards and there is a whisper in my ear... what more can you do? Can you try even harder? I gave in to these negative thoughts and slowly fell away. In my late 20s I moved to Victoria to go to university. I married at 31 years of age, started my own small business, bought a house and the following year our daughter was born.
My lowest point was when my 50th birthday was approaching with my marriage in very poor shape. In my despair I turned back towards God and it felt like God reaching out to me and opening my eyes to Him and His ways. At that point I told God that "the first 50 years I ran my life my way and I made a mess, the next 50 years are Yours to run it Your way". I knew that He could save me if I just let Him. I confessed that I am a sinner and that I was trying to find life in other people and myself. I acknowledged that He sent Jesus to die on the cross so that I can be saved from my sin and have eternal life. I committed myself to living for God instead of others.
Since knowing Him, God showed me that being a “Christian” isn’t about just doing good works. He made it clear that I do not have to earn my salvation or His love (Eph. 2:8-9). He has given me fulfillment and purpose and joy. I am not perfect and I still mess up, but God loves me despite my flaws and imperfections. And while the things I was pursuing before continually let me down, God has never once left me. He has shown Himself to me in His Word, the Bible, in (verse of scripture). God loved me even at my lowest point and He rescued me from myself and eternal separation from Him.
------ Testimony template text below which I used to help me write out my testimony ----------------
I grew up in a Christian family, so I was surrounded by God and the church from the very beginning. I was raised in a Christian home, but just followed through the motions of doing “Christian things” that I thought you were supposed to do. I didn’t know Him, I just knew about Him.
I found myself searching for purpose and meaning in people and also in myself. Whether that was my friends or in relationships, I poured my whole heart into them. I also became very fixated on myself and my image. I became very consumed with what people thought of me and was living for the acceptance of the world.
At my lowest point when I was alone and afraid, God drew me to Himself. From growing up in a Christian home, I knew what to do. I knew that He could save me if I just let Him. I confessed that I am a sinner and that I was trying to find life in other people and myself. I acknowledged that He sent Jesus to die on the cross so that I can be saved from my sin and have eternal life. I committed to living for God instead of others.
Since knowing Him, God showed me that being a “Christian” isn’t about just doing good works. He made it clear that I do not have to earn my salvation or His love (Eph. 2:8-9). He has given me fulfillment and purpose and joy. I am not perfect and I still mess up, but God loves me despite my flaws and imperfections. And when the things I was pursuing before continually let me down, God has never once left me. He has shown Himself to me in His Word, the Bible, in (verse of scripture). God loved me even at my lowest point and He rescued me from myself and eternal separation from Him.
--- Note: I left the last paragraph the same in my testimony as the example text above to make the point that I did use the example text to help me write my testimony and also a bit lazy to complete the last paragraph in my own words because the example text is very good ;) ---
Check back soon and I will add the Good news of the Gospel of Grace which may explain why things went wrong in my 20s.
Be blessed,
Brent