Come and See!

There is a lot of power in the simplicity of a changed life. After Jesus spoke with the woman at the well in Samaria, she immediately went out and began to tell others. The Bible tells us that she “left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?’ ” (John 4:28–29).

Her testimony was so powerful that people believed as a result. The passage goes on to say, “Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, ‘He told me everything I ever did!’ ” (verse 39). That is the power of a changed life.

When the Jewish leaders questioned the man whom Jesus healed, he replied, “I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” (John 9:25).

It’s so important when you can share the before and after of what God has done for you. Maybe people would never imagine that you used to be what you were or that you used to do what you once did, because you have been so transformed by Jesus Christ. And when you share that story, it can speak to them in a special way.

It is interesting how often the apostle Paul, who was a brilliant orator, a great communicator, and a wonderful intellect, would use his testimony to speak to people. When he was speaking before the Roman governor in Acts 24, he began with his own story of how he came to faith. Then he went to the essential core message of the gospel.

Your testimony, your story, is a way to begin building a bridge. It’s a bridge to get to the bigger story, which is Jesus.