God had spoken to their heart, answered their prayers, and had taken care of them in ways too remarkable to be mere coincidence, they all explained. WHY IT WASN’T WORKINGĭuring that time, I had conversations with Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and even Muslims, whose personal testimonies all sounded uncomfortably similar to mine. And yet, despite having shared my testimony with dozens of unbelievers, not a single person felt challenged to consider the truth claims of Christianity. A personal testimony was interesting yet non-confrontational, compelling but inoffensive. I had been taught that sharing what God had done in my life was the ideal way to witness to non-Christians. So I figure either God isn’t real and you all are out of your minds, or he just doesn’t like me very much. One dear friend responded, “I’ve heard stories like that from Christians all my life, so I asked God to give me that same kind of undeniable, divine encounter. People expressed enthusiasm that I was happy, that Christianity worked for me, and that I had “found my niche.” Yet no one considered my experience as anything more than just that-my own personal experience. MAYBE NEXT TIMEīut time after time of sharing my testimony resulted in similar responses. I decided to shake the dust off my feet and look forward to the next opportunity. I was devastated but I chalked it up to my friend’s hardheartedness. Just as you were freed from your heaviest burdens by finding God, I was freed from mine by leaving God behind.” I had a similar revelation when I realized I could leave the church, and I’ve become a better person for my decision. “That doesn’t make sense,” she responded. “It’s not about what works for me,” I said, trying to hide my discouragement. I’m so happy you found something that works for you.” When the opportunity arose and I shared my story with an unbelieving friend, she replied, “That’s so cool. I’ll never forget the first time I shared my personal testimony with a non-Christian.
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