They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not love their lives in the face of death (Revelation 12:11 HCSB).
Once again I found myself facing a video camera and being interviewed about being a writer.
Situations like this, was the answer on the tip of my tongue.
Fortunately I had prayed for God to put a guard over my tongue, and I managed to stammer out a less revealing answer.
I absolutely hate being interviewed with me as the focus.
You see, I’m a background sort of girl, and any kind of attention makes me desperately uncomfortable. And, in my mind, I’ve always thought that was the way it should be. I’m only where I am because of God’s blessings—not anything I’ve done. So situations that bring attention on me seem to diametrically opposed to bringing glory to God.
Then one day I was told differently.
Who dared to argue with my supposed biblical point of view? Someone whose authority I couldn’t fight—God.
It was the verse in Revelation 12:11 that is printed above that stopped me in my tracks.
There it was, one powerful word—testimony—that word caused me a death of sorts. The death of my quiet, comfortable, life-in-the-shadows life. You see, my testimony is what God has done in my life. And God wants to use my story to defeat the enemy.
Have you ever tried to share a personal testimony without talking about yourself? Don’t bother trying—trust me. It’s not possible.
So what am I going to do with this information? The only thing I can do—try to be obedient—no matter how uncomfortable it makes me. Because the one thing I know is that this life isn’t about me.
Below is a prayer for those of us who struggle with this dilemma
A Prayer for Boldness
He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance! (Acts 28:31 NIV).
Dear Lord, You are a God of courage and boldness. You lead Your followers into victories that cannot be imagined. So why am I so timid and fearful when it comes to speaking about You?
At first, it seemed that my reticence stemmed from a desire to be humble, but now I’m not so sure my attitude is fully accurate. I know I would be nothing without You, but you’ve been so active in my life. So I’m struggling with how to share all those amazing moments without mentioning me.
I want everyone to know the powerful ways You’re working in my life. At the same time, I don’t want to call attention to myself. It’s a difficult tightrope to walk, and I need Your guidance.
Give me boldness without fear when I speak of You. Don’t let inaccurate comments from others lead me to be silent about You.
Show me how to share Your work and Your presence in my life without bragging about me. Keep me from any false humility that doesn’t honor You. Most of all don’t ever let me believe that any of my success stems from me. Amen.
TWEETABLE
Excellent thoughts, Edie. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteRoberta, thanks for stopping by! Blessings, E
DeleteAmen
ReplyDeleteJay, thank you. Blessings, E
DeleteAmen!
ReplyDeleteLisa, I appreciate your encouragement! Blessings, E
DeleteAmen Ms. Edie! It's not who I am or what I've done, it's who He is and what He can do. Thank you for the blessing this morning ma'am.
ReplyDeleteMr. Jim, thank you! Blessings, E
DeleteEdie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for such an insightful piece. On the surface most people would not categorize me as an introvert (but I would since my preference is not to stand in front of people but to sit in the corner with a book). Yet I can (and have) testified about God's working in my life in many different venues.
Terry
author of Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success (Revised Edition)
Terry, you encourage so many of us - Thank you! Blessings, E
DeleteA wonderful, helpful post. Thanks again to you, Edie, for writing it and sharing.
ReplyDeleteDiane, I'm so glad it was helpful! Blessings, E
DeleteThis post is so helpful. Revelation 12:11 has been my verse for a long while, yet through your post God is using it once again to stretch me. Thanks so much, Edie.
ReplyDeleteElisabeth, isn't it awesome how God does that! Blessings, E
DeleteExcellent article, Edie! I, too, was an introvert, until I realized that being an introvert would not help me in my job in the secular world, or in my career as a writer. There is nothing wrong with being an introvert, but I knew it was holding me back. So, I prayed for boldness in my speech, my thoughts, and actions, and God answered my prayer, so much so that Suzanne told me this weekend I had a disarming personality!
ReplyDeleteEdwina, you definitely have a GREAT personality--online and in person! Blessings, E
DeleteHi Edie, Thank you for sharing your feelings about calling attention to yourself. I really struggle finding the balance between confidence and pride. It seems that other authors have no problem talking about how much they know and how well they do everything. And although I have years of experience proving what God has done through me, I cannot profess to be an "expert" at anything. If I accept a compliment, I feel guilty about being prideful and not spiritual enough to give God the credit. I need to remember that my story is a testimony to what God has done, not what I have done.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn, it is hard, but an area where God is working on me! Blessings, E
DeleteSo encouraging, Edie! There is hope for us introverts in service to our Lord. Thank you for reminding us that God will equip us for the journey if we are obedient and seek his guidance.
ReplyDeleteWith the necessity of self-promotion, marketing my own writing is a tightrope walk. All Glory to God, and the talents and avenues He has allowed! My prayer is repeating Proverbs 3:26. And I'm not an introvert!
ReplyDeleteThank you Edie. I needed this message. I would rather talk about almost anything else in the world besides myself and my writing. But "by the word of our testimony"... thank you for this reminder.
ReplyDelete