I grew up in a time when a common training in the church was to learn how give your salvation testimony. In these trainings, the framework often prescribed was to share how you once were bad and then Jesus came into your life and finally, how everything was better. Though my own personal testimony fit this mold in many ways, I often shy away from these salvation testimony formulas. I would cringe as I watched many of my Christian friends, who had been raised by loving parents in a Christian environment, struggle with how to package their conversion moment as a 4 year old child. In reality their childhood conversion moment was not the end of their journey of faith, merely the beginning. But we were told to share that we were saved; that was the end of our salvation testimony, lets put a nice little bow around it. 

This, however, is not the real life of a believer.

I feel that we are setting up new believers for failure with these types of testimonies. These salvation stories do not embody the ups, downs, doubts and faith filled moments of a life lived with Jesus. Those of us who believe that Jesus is our savior are still in a process of maturity of faith every day. He paid for our sins so that we could live our whole life with God. Believers still have struggles; they still have doubts and fears but the difference is that God is present with us and we go through it with Him. 

If we can share with non-believers our honest life as followers of Jesus, then we can show them a life in relationship with an active, loving God. We can show them how God works through us in hard times. We can show what it’s like to live faithfully, trusting God.  Even when the circumstances are stacked against us. When we are vulnerable enough to share with non-believers all of the ups and downs, then we can show them the realities of a life lived in a relationship with Jesus. Then whenever they choose to engage with Jesus they will not be disillusioned by a “fix-everything”, “there are no problems” God.  They will experience what you’ve shown, God’s ever loving presence that is with them in all the hardships of life. 

God calls us to make disciples and one of the most important ways to draw people to God's amazing love is sharing our own story. Not the fairytale where it all ends up magically ok, but our REAL story, our PERSONAL journey of faith. About our difficulties, our struggles, our realities and the ever present love of God through it all. That's how we make disciples... so go and share your story.