Testimonies, Not Autobiographies

 So I was listening the other day to a motivational speaker on tv, and he was talking about the fact that he wants his life to be something that points to God and what He's done along the way instead of something that just looks like a personal highlight reel of all the cool stuff he himself has accomplished, and that got me thinking about a simple, yet profound truth when it comes to doing life with God...  

God builds testimonies, not autobiographies.  

If you sincerely believe that God is the Author of your story, then it's no longer about the impressive things you've done or the all the stuff that the world says matters. At the end of the day, what it's all about is what He is all about and the invitation we have to participate in His redemptive plan for the world.

This really hit home to me as I sat in a local coffee shop, visiting with a friend who's been on his own journey to Grace of late. Our paths first crossed nineteen years ago and, even though our contact was limited and I didn't think we'd probably ever see each other again, I vowed to pray for him after he shared some of the really hard stuff he was going through at the time and the spiritual doubts that subsequently came. We ran into each other a couple times after that but then came twelve years of nothing at all, and I doubted if our paths would ever cross again. But then, a couple of years ago, our journeys coincided once more, culminating recently in his admission that he has surrendered his life to God. Nineteen years worth of prayers I didn't know if I'd ever see answered. But I still uttered them. And God heard. 

I can personally point to many other instances where I've seen things happen in my life that could be chalked up to Divine guidance and assignment - moments when I've known, deep in my soul, that there was plan that went way above mine, and I was only meant to show up and be a witness to it. Times like these make you realize that this story called life isn't really about you... at all. Every single one of us has been created for the Master's pleasure and part of the uniqueness of letting Him lead is getting to live your way into those purposes for your life that only He knows about. Your journey has been His dream since before the world existed, and now you get to find out what He's had in mind. That's kind of cool, I think! 

The difficulty comes though in continuing to trust that sovereign plan when either your own human judgement or someone else's tells you that the plan doesn't seem to make sense. Why keep trusting when it feels like nothing is working or your prayers aren't heard or your dreams keep collapsing or your suffering keeps mounting? Why keep going when the plans don't feel good at all and only seem to be making your life harder and more miserable? What kind of God would do that?! When the Divine call appears to be leading you in a direction that's more opposite or uncertain than anything you've ever felt before or seems so very illogical, what then? 

I've been there before, and perhaps you have also. It's a tough place to be in where you're trying to put your faith in something that isn't readily seen. In the world we live in, proof is everything. People want something tangible or visible to show for what you're doing or feeling but, in God's world, all of that goes out the window. Instead, He asks us to believe in and hope for things not seen. To look back on all the times when God showed up in the past and trust that He can and will do so again. To gather up all the personal evidences and promises He's made and cary them forward into a future only He sees. This makes our proof-demanding world very nervous because it means you can't demand instant results of God. Sure, He can do things fast if He wants to but often, life with God works slowly, hiddenly, quietly. And part of the joy of walking with Him is learning to love that deeper meaning and shed the surface-level stuff for something of far greater value. 

I know this is a shorter post than usual, but I just want you to ask yourself if you're striving for an autobiography or a testimony. Are you desiring God to get the glory for the things that happen and the way that happen in your life, or are you trying to write a story for yourself that appeals to the way the rest of our crazy world runs? If you choose to do things God's way, people around you aren't going to understand it. I mean, you probably will have times you don't understand it either! I certainly have! But if you're willing to dare to go down that road of faith, you will see beautiful things along the way. It will be hard, but it will be the most rewarding thing you've ever been part of. 

Testimony, or autobiography... 

Which will it be?