Have you ever been told to be careful because you wouldn’t want to hurt your ‘testimony’? 

“Be careful of the appearance of evil.” 

“Be careful of your sin struggle being openly visible.”

“Be careful of your apparel being too worldly.” 

“Be careful not to appear too broken, sinful, messy…human.”

I’ve heard it all. And you know what? I don’t buy it. 

I see my testimony in a different way. 

My testimony is about….

how Jesus Christ saved me from a path of destruction and damnation

how Jesus adopted me as His daughter and desires a daily relationship with me

how Jesus sees me in all my imperfection and speaks over me that His strength is made perfect in my weakness

My testimony is about redemption, sanctification, and relationship. 

You see. Other Christians, or even non-believers, seeing my sin struggles, or all the ways I’ve yet to be sanctified, doesn’t hurt my testimony—it enhances it.

Why? Because if they didn’t see the sin they’d have a harder time seeing the Savior. They’d see someone who “has it all together”. Someone who “doesn’t struggle like they do”. Or, someone who “isn’t as messed up as they are”. These, of course, would be so very wrong, but how would they know that? 

This is the danger of legalism and outward conformity. It is a mirage of goodness that excludes the greatest Good. It puffs up my ability to perform and downplays His ability to purify me. 

My testimony—the good, bad, and the ugly—proves only ‘one’ thing. Jesus is better than it all.