Why There Is No Such Thing as a “Boring Testimony”

I’m not a missionary kid, but I grew up with parents who were active in ministry, which means that I heard the gospel all the time. When I was only a few years old, I was actually listening for the first time. It resonated with me, and I responded.

So that was me: born into a Christian family, saved as a kid, and trying to follow Christ ever since. Sure, my story is a little more complex than that. But that’s the basic version.

And I used to think that my testimony was extremely boring.

I’ve heard and read my share of testimonies, and as a kid, I used to rate them from “boring” to “exciting.” And I thought that only former drug dealers have exciting testimonies.

I have a distinct memory of when I was about six years old. My church was having a baptism. One of the teens being baptised said how thankful she was that she grew up in a Christian family. My first thought? Why be thankful for that? It makes your testimony a lot more boring!

As a child and later as a teen, I was sometimes asked to share my testimony. One time, I started it with an apology: “My testimony is a bit boring, sorry about that, but I was born into a Christian family…”

Now, when I look back, it makes me sad that no one ever sat me down and told me that there is no such thing as a boring testimony. For in the years to follow, I would discover that the idea of a “boring testimony” was one massive lie the devil used to try to keep me from understanding God’s power.

Turns out, I’m not the only one to rate testimonies. In fact, I have talked with many people who have similar views.

Saved by Grace, Through Faith

When people talk about sharing your testimony, they mean sharing about how you got to know Jesus and how He’s changed your life since.

Did you notice how I said that? Your testimony, your story, has you in it, but it’s not about you. It’s not primarily about you and your life. Instead, it’s about Jesus and how He changed (and is still changing!) you.

How He did that can be different for everyone. People with those apparently boring testimonies often did not experience a hit-by-lightning kind of change. Instead, it is usually a point (or many points) of understanding what it means to be saved by grace through faith, followed by gradual growth.

But is gradual change less real or valid than instant change? Not at all. Change is change! Every time Jesus pulls someone out of darkness into His glorious light or changes a little bit of a sinful life and heart into something that honours Him, it is a miracle.

Why? Because we are so hard to change. We humans are born into sin and choose sin. We like our sinful nature and want to hold onto it.

Just think about it: if you are a child of God, Jesus in some way or form opened your eyes to His truth, changed your life, and continues to do so. He’s transforming you into someone who brings Him honour. You with all your awful thoughts and hidden sin. Now how can you tell me that that is not a miracle?

All for the Glory of God

Non-TCKs are quick to say that TCKs have an “exciting life”: moving, getting to know different cultures, and perhaps being able to speak multiple languages. But many TCKs who grew up in Christian households would probably claim that their own testimony is “boring.” Especially as an MK, you might have seen and heard a lot of testimonies and automatically labelled them in your mind, possibly ranking a lot of them as more “exciting” than your own.

But, a testimony is always about God, not us. And as the author of our stories, He can decide how He wants to write them. As the characters of the stories, we have no right to complain about what the author pens. (If you talk with the people who have “exciting” testimonies, they usually tell you to be thankful that God protected you from making certain choices. In addition to that, a “boring” testimony might point to our parents’ obedience and reflect good choices they made.) 

By saying that our testimonies are boring, we are saying that God is writing a boring story! And that is a lie.

A few summers ago, when I was sharing my testimony at a camp, I did the polar opposite of what I did years ago. Instead of starting with an apology about my story being boring, I started by explaining that I used to think my testimony was boring, and what changed my mind about that.

Realising that there is no such thing as a boring testimony has made me more open to sharing not my but God’s story with others.

That evening at camp, when I sat down again, a girl in front of me turned around and grasped my hand. “Your story gave me goosebumps,” she said. It wasn’t the only reaction of that kind that I got. Many more told me how moving it was to them. And I had to agree.

If you see your testimony as “boring,” you might also feel insecure about it, thinking that a dramatic testimony is more powerful or convincing. While it may be so on a purely human level, we have to remember that only the Spirit can open someone’s eyes and ears. Again, it’s not us; it’s Him. He can use any testimony, any story that He wants. 

Testimonies are powerful, and if we leave them untold just because we think they’re boring, we miss amazing opportunities to give God the glory. 

So, friend, move beyond the labels “exciting” and “boring” and dare to tell your story. Yes, talk about the difficulties and the hurt. Talk about how truth has radically changed you (even if it doesn’t look that radical to you). But most importantly, talk about the One who deserves all credit and glory.

Today, I often talk about how God called me by His mercy and how He is changing me. And more often than not, I get goosebumps. Nothing about my testimony, about the story itself, changed. Instead, it was my realising who the Author was that changed my perspective.

Hearing myself talk about Jesus reminds me of how amazing a story I have to tell.

A story of a Saviour who gave everything for me – I, who am completely undeserving and sinful to the core. A story of a God so awesome and mighty, who loved me enough to step down and reach out His hand.

Because no matter how often you hear the gospel and no matter how early (or late) you respond to it, the gospel is God’s dynamite that radically changes us to the core.

And that is a powerful story that has to be told.

Because when Jesus is involved, there is no such thing as a boring testimony.