“I grew up in a Christian household.”

Many a testimony has started with that line. If I’m being honest, mine often starts with that line too. Often we preface it by saying “I know this sounds cliché” or “This isn’t too unique,” but why do we do this? Well, I know for me, I used to think that my testimony was boring, or that I had nothing to say. Now I know that’s not true. We fall into this trap for three reasons:

1. Perceiving our faith as not our own
2. Thinking of our story as “common” or “formulaic”
3. We’re scared to share the Gospel using our testimony

Perceiving our faith as not our own

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.— Galatians 2:20a ESV

For me, my faith used to be totally dependent on external factors. If my parents weren’t there to take me to church, I wouldn’t go. If my friends didn’t show up, I wouldn’t have wanted to go. And if we didn’t read the Bible in church and at home, I would be hard-pressed to read it on my own. It was only through the work of the Lord that I came to understand my need for a Savior and accept Jesus Christ into my heart. However, I still needed to be pushed by mentors, more deep in their faiths than me, to actually dive into the Word and strengthen my relationship with God. 

Still, how does this relate to having a boring testimony?

Well, simply put, you may think your testimony is boring because your faith is not totally your own.

This is NOT to question anyone’s faith. Quite the contrary, in fact. If we are to be effective disciples of Christ, we must understand the Gospel thoroughly, have it change our lives, and be able to tell that story to others in hopes that they will also see the Light.

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “the righteous shall live by faith.” — Romans 1:17 ESV

Christians need to be fully aware of the awe-inspiring power of the Gospel in order to fully articulate it. The fact that the King of the Universe became a man, died for YOU personally, and wants a relationship with YOU personally, should never bore you.

Being passionate about the Gospel will lead you to have a more passionate testimony and a more effective witness to non-believers.

Thinking of our story as “common” or “formulaic”

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. — 2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV

This is my favorite part of the “boring” testimony to debunk. Many of these types of Christians feel because they don’t have some crazy conversion story that they somehow have an inferior witness compared to someone like Paul, who had a radical transformation. I’ve even seen some go as far as to say that they wish that they had done some crazy drugs or committed crimes in the past to make their story more interesting. This is the exact wrong approach. Is the Holy Spirit any less at work in your heart because you didn’t oversee the murder of numerous Christians like Paul? By no means!

In fact, our testimony should be a declaration of God’s faithfulness. By not having a “traditional radical conversion story” we are actually a living picture of the Lord’s faithfulness. I think about my own life like this: God had to save both my mother and father in their lives before they gave birth to me, and he had to give them the Holy Spirit to ensure that I would be taught the Gospel from an early age. Going back even earlier, God had to save both sets of my grandparents at some point so that my parents could become Christian. In this way, God had set into motion my salvation several generations before my birth, at least.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? — Romans 6:1–2 ESV

All Christians are in equal standing before God, because we were all deserving of equal punishment, but now we have equal grace because of the work of Christ. Someone shouldn’t be ashamed of their past, whether they committed generally considered bad actions or not, because everyone is imperfect and all have received God’s grace.

We should neither boast nor shrink at our past lives before Christ, but use it as a tool to further the Kingdom of Heaven.

We’re scared to share the Gospel using our testimony

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. — Romans 1:16 ESV

This was the point that impacted me the most. It’s not a point that affects everybody, but for me specifically, I would often hide behind my “boring” testimony as an excuse not to share the Gospel because I was scared of what others think. But when the power of the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE was inside of our very bones, what other people think becomes just a little bit silly.

The way to remedy this thinking isn’t easy, but it is simple: to be in the Word and to be in God’s presence (prayer). 

Reading the Bible gives us a steady base on which to actually know about Jesus and what to share with others. Because, if you don’t know the Gospel, then how can you share it?

So what should you take away from all this?

First of all, what your testimony is can never be an excuse to shy away from sharing the Gospel. Jesus commands us this in Matthew 28. But we can also improve how we evangelize and talk with non-believers, demonstrating the radical love of Jesus Christ in our daily lives, which is sometimes the only testimony you may be able to share.

Finally, remember that no testimony is boring, you just need to be bold and make your faith your own.

…always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” — 1 Peter 3:15b ESV