The Humility to Accept Your Own Testimony

I was talking with a friend recently who is struggling with his faith and I shared something that has helped me at times when I've struggled. I actually think that struggles in our faith can be sign of our lack of humility. I think this because it takes humility to listen to and believe the testimonies of others who have faith in Christ and who have seen God's power in their lives, confirming that the promises in Scripture are real. But it takes even less humility to believe our own testimony. It might be sad that many are not strengthened in their faith by the testimonies of others but I think it is a fact for many of those who struggle to believe what the Bible tells us about our God. But even if we can't accept the testimonies of others, are we so arrogant not even to accept our own testimony from a time when we were convinced that God was with us and that we were saved by what Christ did on the cross for us? You see, I have been friends with this man for a while and there was a time when I was greatly strengthened by the strength of his faith. So I reminded him of that time and exhorted him to accept his own testimony. I have actually written down a testimony for myself during a time that I was 100% certain that Christ was God and that He really had saved me from my sins. I wrote it down so that I could read it at a future time if I was struggling. This practice has actually helped me. I know that it is a sign of a lack of humility that I am not as strongly helped by the testimonies of others but I think most of us would admit that we usually trust our own perceptions over the perceptions of others. So when I struggle I have to ask myself, "would you really tell yourself from six months ago or a year ago that 'you are wrong in your certainty about Christ.'?" This practice only works for the person who, even in their struggle, desires to believe what the Word tells us about Christ. Without the desire to believe, this practice will make no difference.

In other news, living in Southern California has been interesting this week. Over the last couple of days I watched a large forest fire work its way down a mountain north of here. Other than that, visibility has been low and I always think I should see someone barbecuing somewhere. Pray for the firefighters and for those who have lost their homes. Pray also for the arsonists who started the fires, that they would realize that their sins make them deserving of a fire that will never be quenched and that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to escape that fate.