Share Jesus Tip: How Do I Write My Testimony?

Whether you’re a new Christian or a Bible scholar, ang personal testimony mo parin ang isa sa pinaka-mabisang paraan para mag-share ng faith. People love a good story kaya narito kami para tulungan kang isulat ang sa’yo!

Let’s get to it!

What is a Testimony?

Sa Court of law, ang testimony ay isang formal written or spoken statement na nagpapatotoo sa isang pangyayari. Bilang Christian, ganoon din ang testimony mo, hindi nga lang pormal pero account ito ng ginawa ng Diyos sa buhay at kung paano mo Siya nakilala at sinunod.

Your testimony is your God story.

Sabi sa Acts 1:8, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.”

‘Yung pagpapatotoo natin is the perfect way para mag-witness!

Sharing personal experiences of how Jesus transformed your life will always have greater impact than an impersonal blanket statement of faith.

A good testimony should explain:

· WHAT your life was like BEFORE you decided to follow Jesus.

· WHY you decided to follow Jesus.

· HOW your life has changed AFTER following Jesus.

8 Essential Steps to Writing Your Testimony

Step 01 — Pause And Ask God To Help You

Parang obvious naman na step ito pero sa totoo lang ito yung madalas nating nakakalimutan. Kaya take a moment para mag-pause at i-ask ang Holy Spirit, “Anong aspect ng buhay ko ang gusto Mong i-share ko?” Chances are, may idea ka na kung anong isusulat mo, pero take the time to ask Him first. He may have something specific.

Step 02 — Describe Life Before Following Jesus

I-describe mo kung ano ang buhay mo bago ka nag-decide na i-follow si Jesus. This sets up your story. Write a paragraph or two. No need to go any longer than 300 words. Confidently detail your thoughts and emotions at the time.

Answer questions like:

· Paano nga ba ang buhay ko dati? (Lonely, Empty, Shallow, etc)

· Saan umiikot ang mundo ko noon?(Work, A partner, Alcohol, etc)

· Saan ako nag-aanchor ng security at happiness? (Success, Possessions, Romantic Relationships, etc)

· How did those areas begin to let me down?

Step 03 — Describe When And Why You Chose To Follow Jesus

Sumulat ka lang ng isa o dalawang paragraph na nag-eexplain kung bakit mo piniling tanggapin si Jesus sa buhay mo.

Answer questions like:

· Kailan ko unang narinig ang Gospel o kailan unang naintroduce sa akin si Jesus?

· Paano ako nag-react noon?

· Kailan nag-bago ang pag-uugali ko? Bakit?

· Anong mga pag-aalinlangan mayroon ako bago ko tanggapin si Jesus?

· Bakit ko piniling tanggapin si Jesus?

Step 04 — Describe Life After Following Jesus

This is where you can begin to join the dots and bring closure to your testimony. I-describe mo lang kung paano ka nabago ng experience na ‘to.

Write a sentence or two on each of these points:

· Paano nag bago ang perspective mo tungkol kay God at sa buhay?

· Describe how this has impacted the way you live, feel and think.

· Paano nabago ng storya na’to ang pagkakaintindi mo about kay God?

· This is the most impacting part, because now you’re presenting a view of God based on things that really happened to you.

Step 05 — Keep Your Language Simple

It would be best na iwasan mag-banggit ng mga terms na hindi maiintindihan ng mga friends mo na hindi pa followers ni Christ. Use normal every-day language!

“Christians routinely use words like sin, salvation, fellowship, sanctification, and the Gospel without realising these phrases can leave their friends confused or even repelled.” — Luke Cawley

If you find yourself using words like these, try mong i-rephrase and put it in a simpler way na maiintindihan at ma-didigest nila. Rather than using phrase like ‘my sins are washed by the blood’, try say something like ‘Jesus has forgiven the things I did wrong, and has given me a fresh start’. The first statement is true but hindi siya magkakaroon ng impact to the people we’re sharing with dahil hindi sila pamilyar sa phrase.

Step 06 — Get Feedback

Ipa-check mo sa Christian friend, and ask their feedback. Itanong mo kung may dapat pa bang baguhin o iimprove ang testimony mo to make it stronger. Better yet, read it out loud to them. Madalas words written down sound different kapag spoken out loud.

Step 07 — Memorise The Key Points

Siyempre gusto mong mai-share ang story mo nang hindi ito binabasa. Story mo ‘yan kaya for sure madali na ‘yan for you. Write down the key aspects of your story (including events, thoughts, feelings) in sequential order, saka mo ilista in bullet points. These will make it easier for you na i-memorize at mai-share ang testimony mo in a more natural way.

Step 08 — Share Your Testimony

Yay! Ngayon natapos mon ang isulat ang testimony mo, it’s time to share it with someone. Get out there, give it a go! Practice makes perfect. Give yourself some grace, have fun and begin to get comfy with your story.

Naniniwala kami sa’yo.