Testimonies are great. Seeing how God provides and is faithful is one of my favorite things.
But what about the process it takes to get them?
So many people, myself included, want testimonies. We want to say "LOOK WHAT GOD DID! HOLY CRAP THIS IS AMAZING!" and then share it with the rest of the world. But I'm finding out that the test to get the mony can be hard, frustrating, consist of times where you just might want to shake yourself (literally shake yourself wildly about) free from all the pressure around you that is trying to get you to quit and give up. God will even take His fire in the process and burn everything out of you in order to make you in His likeness and for His glory because He loves a heart that is willing to go through the flames to get the reward that Jesus died for.
Do you still want a testimony? Do you want the things that God says we have since we are His children? Do you want to go through the hard times that people don't tell you about when they give the glorious testimony of Jesus? If it gets hard and you can't see, will you give up? Do you REALLY want the testimony to share?
I'm learning that testimonies can be hard, but not all of them are and not all of them take a long time either, but mine is. Not hard to accomplish because God is the one accomplishing them. But hard for your flesh to choose to stand when all you want to do is lie down. Will I stand when I want to lie down? Will I continue to sew my prayers and my efforts into my dreams even if I don't see one stinkin thing?
Will I give my life for my dreams? Now mind you, that our dreams aren't just for ourself and that every choice we make is affecting the people around us. Our family, friends, co-workers ect. Good or bad, they affect other people. But will I hold fast to my dream? Will I give my life for it?
So, do you REALLY want to fight for your testimony?
With a gulp in my throat and knowing nothing of what lies ahead or how it will happen, I say yes. I say "God, do whatever you must do." I have my dreams, here they are. They are yours, help me go after them and help me stand in the process.
Girl. I'm with you...and I'm proud of you.
ReplyDeleteBut it's testimony.
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ReplyDeleteI think this falls in line with what you wrote:
ReplyDelete"Sanctification is not a question of whether God is willing to sanctify me--is it my will? Am I willing to let God do in me everything that has been made possible through the atonement of the Cross of Christ? Am I willing to let Jesus become sanctification to me, and to let His life be exhibited in my human flesh? ... Beware of saying, 'Oh, I am longing to be sanctified.' No, you are not. Recognize your need, but stop longing and make it a matter of action. Receive Jesus Christ to become sanctification for you by absolute, unquestioning faith, and the great miracle of atonement of Jesus will become real in you.
All that Jesus made possible becomes mine through the free and loving gift of God on the basis of what Christ accomplished on the cross. And my attitude as a saved and sanctified soul is that of profound, humble holiness (there is no such thing as proud holiness). it is a holiness based on agonizing repentance, a sense of inexpressible shame and degradation, and also on the amazing realization that the love of God demonstrated itself to me while I cared nothing about Him (see Romans 5:8)."
...sometimes I don't completely disagree with Mr. Chambers...