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The Christian walk often requires paying close attention to seasons and timing. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 tells us that there is a time for sowing and reaping. A time for joy and another for mourning. This is why everything doesn't happen all at once. With God, there is order, and we are told He is not the source of chaos and confusion in 1 Corinthians 14:33.
And so, it should come as no surprise that although believers are instructed to share their testimonies of what God has done for them, there are also times that the Lord will require His child to hold off and wait for certain other things to happen before they share what God has done in their lives.
One might be tempted to think He's doing this to preserve what He's doing or has done from the enemy's attack. While that may be true, the Lord might have a person keep a testimony quiet for someone else's sake. And specifically, to increase the other person's faith. Sometimes, God's plan may be to build both the testifier and the recipient of the testimony in faith.
Most of us are familiar with Proverbs 13:12 - Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But when the desire comes, it is a tree of life (NKJV). It helps us understand that the longer we have to wait for the things we are hoping for, the sadder we become. However, God's fulfillment of prayer requests makes the waiting person's spirit come alive with joy.
As such, when dealing with a person who's been disappointed, broken-hearted, or is struggling with their faith, the Lord may instruct another to hold off on sharing a testimony with them. It isn't because they don't deserve to know what He's done. No, not at all. Instead, it may be because God wants to do more and is setting things up to give them a boost in their faith. Besides, God enjoys surprising people with good things.
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That way, when they learn about His faithfulness, there will be less room for the devil to sow seeds of doubt. The person will not think the miracle is a mirage that will soon disappear. Instead, they will see the track record God has established in the testifier's life and be encouraged to take that leap of faith, trusting that what God started is complete.
I learned this lesson firsthand when I had to hold back on sharing something God had done in my life with someone. I understood that I needed to wait and let God continue to do what had been prayed for. By the time I told the person what had happened, even they could not argue against what the Lord had done. They saw and recognized the track record God had set, and their faith increased. By how much? Only God knows, but my job was to wait for the appointed time to share what He had done. Even I was encouraged by the end of the testimony process. It was reinforced to me that our testimonies are not just to bring us joy but to bless others and advance God's kingdom here on earth.
If God is building another person's faith, then the testifier needs to be sensitive to what God is doing. Such sensitivity only comes through yielding to God's Holy Spirit. Remember, Jesus repeatedly said that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth (John 14:16-17; John 15:26; John 16:13). Hence, without His guidance, a believer will lack God's truth and fall for satan's deception. They could then miss God's timing, sharing too early or even too late, and fail in their role to help somebody.
Therefore, invest in knowing the Spirit of God now. Don't think you can or should wait until something major happens. Every believer needs to be familiar with the Holy Spirit today, and that is impossible without submitting to the lordship of Jesus Christ. When we give our lives over to Jesus, we qualify to receive a deposit of the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit's job is to help us navigate life on earth in a manner that opens the gates of heaven to us. That way, we enjoy the privileges of sonship now and later as residents of God's kingdom.
The situation described above does not apply to everybody, so please do not use it as an excuse not to testify about God's goodness in your life. Testimonies are essential in the Christian walk. They embolden the long-suffering and bring hope to the entire Body of Christ. Testimonies have been known to turn the hearts of men to the Lord, thereby transforming families and communities in the process. Think about the woman at the well, Photine, whose testimony made her entire town believe in Jesus (John 4:39). You can be that person for someone else. Share your testimony of what God has done and bless somebody today.
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