I’ve been sewing lots of ruffles lately. Ruffles for me, ruffles for friends, ruffles for books, and ruffles for babies. The thing about ruffles is that their’s beauty in the imperfections. It seems that the messier they are the more beautiful the final product is.
It reminds me of some testimonies I’ve heard. Testimonies that shock and impress their audiences. The messier the person’s life was before Christ the more impressed we are. And we can start to believe that it takes that kind of story for our testimonies to be useful. We start to think that God’s work is like ruffles, the messier it starts out, the more beautiful the end result.
But the truth is that my story, your story is just as powerful and can be used by God to call others to Him. After all in essence we have the same basic story.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Romans 3:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23
If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Romans 10:9-10
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
John 1:12
and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:24
Of course the details are widely varied and personal, but the work the Lord does in one is just as beautiful as the work He does in another.
So let’s speak out. Let OUR testimonies be heard.
And let us wait in sweet anticipation to see how He uses them to overcome.
And let us wait in sweet anticipation to see how He uses them to overcome.
They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.
Revelation 12:11
Christy, Why do we think that? Yet, it's funny, while we think that, we also run from it...I did for years. I have shared mine. It's messy...it's ugly and yet, God continues to iron out the wrinkles...and that process hurts, but is so necessary. In our discipleship, we draw a timeline with our walk with Christ (to date)...and I'm sharing mine on Monday with my new group..I hesitate to do so...because I don't want anyone to look at me and say WOW! I want them to look at HIM...because me, I'm still going to mess up.... Thank you!
ReplyDeleteGreat verses. No matter who we are or where we come from, we all need Jesus to have eternal life. Why some cannot accept that I cannot comprehend.
ReplyDeleteWHAT a PERFECT analogy!! Those messy ruffles are beautiful...just like us...thanking Jesus!!
ReplyDeletepeace,
lori
Beautiful, and thanks for sharing all those powerful verses. Blessings ~
ReplyDeleteThat bookmark is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLove your messy ruffles. And the fact that every ruffle is one that God ordain in our lives, as messy or as neat as He likes.
ReplyDeleteLisa
www.moretobe.com
I used to think that too and that I didn't HAVE a testimony---until I realized exactly what you're saying. Except for the grace of God and acceptance of Christ's work, we would all be lost!
ReplyDeleteI love the analogy to the ruffles.
What a great way to think about the ruffles! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you.
Bethany
Yes! Great post. I found you through internet cafe and love your blog. I want to invite you to link up for Brag on God Friday-it seems like it would be up your alley. ;)
ReplyDeleteI absolutely LOVE this! I was just asked to share my testimony and my first thought was, "it's not very exciting." I haven't had a messy life. But your words spoke to my heart when you said, "After all in essence we have the same basic story." Thanks for sharing these scriptures and reminding me that we all have a story to tell. :)
ReplyDeleteYou know what's funny? I had a little spare time so I thought I would go back to some of the blog hops I participated in and visit some other blogs. I "just happened" to pick yours. Or maybe God led me directly to you. :) Many blessings!
Like Jennifer, I once thought I didn't have a testimony because I was the "good girl" raised in church, became and Christian at an early age, etc...
ReplyDeleteTruth is I was just as much of a sinner as the drug addict or gang member. And it is all because of His grace that I am what I am today.
Great post!
Blessings,
Joan
It is so important to share our God-story with others, otherwise God's grace would be kept all to yourself. When we share our story, we share God's grace.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
That's beautiful. It's all about Him anyways, isn't it? And there is such beauty in the work He has done to redeem each of us. In the work He does in us each day to make us more like Him. Thank you for that great reminder!
ReplyDelete~Melissa, www.sistersncloth.com
But the truth is that my story, your story is just as powerful and can be used by God to call others to Him.
ReplyDeleteAmen. Great post. Happy TT. Hugs