In John Chapter 4, there was a Samaritan woman who met Jesus for the first time and, as a result, believed in him as the Savior of the world. She had a testimony, or her own personal story, of which she shared with others in her town.

Scripture reveals that this testimony had a positive effect on them, seen in verse 39, where it says, “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony.”

If you are a follower of Jesus, you too have a story or testimony to tell others. You can tell of your old life and how the Lord has given you a new one. You can tell of how he has forgiven you of all of your sins and the peace you now have.

You can tell about how you look forward to every new day and what God has in store for you. You can tell how the Lord has helped you in your relationships with your family, at work or at school. You can share how Jesus has given you power to say no to sin and yes to the right things to do.

You can tell others about a Savior who is with you and helps you get through those challenging times of life. You can tell of how when you accepted Jesus, you received his Spirit to guide you in all of the decisions you need to make in life.

Our greatest testimony is backing up our words with the life we live before others — it is our actions that speak louder than words many times. If our lives don’t match our testimony, then our words fall on deaf ears. If our lives do match our testimony, then our words are very powerful, offering those who are hungering for a new life hope.