You, as an individual, are unlike any other human on this planet. From your quirks and physical makeup to what you like to do, God has intricately designed every fabric. The mistakes you would make, the future He has planned, and the sins you will struggle, are also included, for they are not a surprise to Him.

Many details in our testimony are thus easy to share. I will gladly disclose that I struggled with OCD, perfection, and jealousy. And though I was raised in a Christian home, I watched my half-brothers shoot up heroin, and be brought back to life, only to return to the same plague of death still knocking at their door. 

When it comes to the nitty-gritty details that affect my integrity, however, I struggle to share those facts, for fear that someone will see me as I once was and not as I am now. Rarely do I talk about the battlefields of my mind. Sparse, are the number of posts I’ve written about a distorted view of health.

But there is power in every aspect of your testimony, especially those secret attributes you’d rather leave out. And I truly believe that God has a purpose for sharing the struggles you went through because something about sharing our brokenness with others makes us radically whole.

James 5:16 reminds us that healing comes when we confess our sins and “pray for one another, that you may be healed. [For] the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16, ESV). Though we’re not called to blab our darkest secrets to the world, we are called to share with the broken so that they too may be made like new.

Jesus, after His death and Resurrection, approached the Disciples and invited them to touch the holes in His hands. He showed them His scars and invited them to press on His wounds. I can faintly hear Him say, “This is my body broken for you and my blood shed for you,” because He knew the power of His testimony.  

For the power of one, Jesus shared His story, and He encourages you to share yours today. 

Agape, Amber