One of the coolest experiences you can have with another Christian is to each share your testimonies. Being vulnerable builds a deeper relationship and lets you tell them how Jesus has changed your life.
I have had the opportunity to share my testimony with many people and I have been privileged to hear theirs as well. After a while you learn that everyone is different. We all have different families, different friends, different faith backgrounds, different experiences, different lives.
I find myself in trouble when I start comparing my story to other people's stories.
I think that since they were more "lost" and more "broken" than me, their story of redemption is far greater than mine.
Or I think that since my past is so marred by guilt and shame, there is no way I can open up to that "perfect" Christian kid wanting to know about my life.
These are all lies, plain and simple.
God created me. He formed me together in my mother's womb. I am fearfully and wonderfully and individually made (check out Psalms 139).
He made me different from you, and He made you different from me. We each have a story, and although there may be similarities, they will be distinctly unique to ourselves.
Different does not mean better or worse.
We are each given a story of repentance, reconciliation, and redemption not so we could boast in ourselves, but that we can boast in what God did in our lives. Paul writes,
"Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding." -2 Corinthians 10:12 (ESV)
People may have been through trials that I have not experienced, and I may have endured suffering and persecution that they are foreign to. But, no matter what our stories are, we must not get caught up in which one is "better" than the rest.
Because when you think about it, we are all the same.
We are all sinners (Romans 3:23).
We are all deserving of death (Romans 6:23).
God loved us, and He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins (Romans 5:8)
Jesus did not remain in the grave, but by the power of God, He rose after 3 days, defeating sin and death. When we believe this in our hearts and confess this with our mouths, we are saved (Romans 10:9-10).
So, through faith in Jesus, by the grace of God, we can have life (Ephesians 2:8-9).
We are redeemed from our past, we have joy in our present, and we have hope for the future.
Our lives were changed by Him.
This is everyone's story.
If you given your life to Jesus Christ, then your story no matter how "messy" or "perfect" it seems, is still a radical story of God's love for you.
If you have not put your trust in Jesus, look at your life and discover that it has been a constant search for love, peace, purpose, and hope. Chances are you are desiring something that this world cannot satisfy. Talk to a Christian, ask them about their story, and see how God has transformed their life.
Do not be afraid of sharing your testimony. Do not get in the mindset of constantly comparing your experiences with other people's. God loves us, and called us back to Him in various ways.
We are all different, but we are also all the same.
