“They have conquered (Satan) by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony …” (Revelation 12:11)
That last wee bit of the verse is resonating with me: “…by the word of their testimony.”
The Greek meaning of ‘word’ is logos, which describes something said or thought. Diving a little deeper, its root used here is lēgō which means to lay forth or to relate (in words) and describe.
Testimonies aren’t simply stories that are nice to listen to. Instead, testimonies are dangerous! We conquer Satan by saying, thinking of, laying forth, and describing the good that God has done in our lives. It doesn’t have to be overly dramatic. It doesn’t need to include all the gory details of our sin-filled lives before God transformed us, and it’s okay if your testimony doesn’t include such a dramatic 180° conversion.
The word of your testimony conquers Satan. Proclaiming your testimony is an action that draws others out of his greedy clutches and into a deeper friendship with Jesus. This is a part of what St. Ignatius implies when he describes the Two Standards, one of the Kingdom of Jesus and the other of Satan. Your testimony reclaims territory for the Kingdom of Jesus and sets the captives free.
I dive into this topic more in depth here:
Missionary Sales: the Elevator Speech
I was at a Knights of Columbus sales conference in 2014 and Matthew Kelly was the keynote speaker. Matthew Kelly is a phenomenal Catholic evangelist and business consultant (click on the link!), and I was really looking forward to hearing what he had to say.
I really like the Knights of Columbus. The vast majority of their Financial Advisors felt called by God to protect the dreams of Catholic families from the risk of death and disability. That disposition of heart inspired Matthew Kelly to declare: “You don’t sell life insurance, you sell dream insurance.”
Matthew Kelly challenged us to create a 2-3 minute Elevator Speech that we can quickly share with others what we do, why we do it, and how others can benefit from our expertise.
For 13 years I served Catholic families as a Financial Advisor for the Knights of Columbus (also known as a “Field Agent”). My 2-3 minute Elevator Speech went something like this: “I’m a Field Agent with the Knights of Columbus, and I coach people just like you about the best way to protect their dreams for their family and community …”
My Elevator Speech was sincere, communicated in a way that only I could, and it enabled me to accomplish my mission from God to “protect the dreams of Catholic Families.”
It only takes a minute or three
All of us are called to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus, and all of us ought to develop a 2-3 minute “Elevator Speech.” It should involve the who, what, where, when, and how of our faith.
In short, the Missionary’s Elevator Speech is an efficient response to 1 Peter’s apologia: “Always be prepared to make a defence (Greek: apologia) to any one who calls on you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15).
The Who
British Invasion rock bands and Pinball Wizards aside, “the who” is you. This involves where you’re from, what you do, and what makes you tick. In other words, “the who” is the relatable you. Be honest and don’t embellish, stick to the facts and you’ll do great. The best policy is to be yourself. Resist the temptation to either a.) sound as if you’ve got it all together and b.) trying sound like someone else. Be yourself. God anointed you to share your testimony, he didn’t anoint you to share someone else’s story.
Lastly, be careful not to get carried away, because there’s two of you Whos. Our Missionary Elevator Speech is not all about you: it’s mostly about Jesus. That’s who we testify to. Kind of like the Sales Speech, you’re promoting a person and a lifestyle.
WDJD
“What did Jesus do” for you is the reason for your hope and faith in him. What he did was to call you “out of the darkness and into his marvellous light” (1 Peter 2:9). What you did was respond to his grace working in your life and intentionally drew yourself closer to him (James 4:8).
This is also where you describe your life before Jesus’ action, and contrast it with your life after. You don’t need to focus too much attention on the “gory details” of your life’s (sinful) work. I find that a lot of people (including myself) have a temptation to give too much information here. Try to remember that “less is more”: focus less on your sinful ways and more on the grace of God.
Short and Sweet
Remember that it doesn’t need to be long. It should have a Who, a What, a When, and a How. Here’s an example:
“I blindly dove head first into the party scene when I was 17/18 years old. It was in the midst of that lifestyle that God embraced me, told me that he loved me, and called me into his freedom.”
Occasionally my Elevator Speech would focus on this or that detail, depending on who I’m talking to. It could be as short and succinct as it’s written above, or a little more detailed:
“I was confronted with this choice of remaining in the depressing scene I was in, or following this God who spoke to me and loved me. It was in that precise moment that I knew that all the happiness and joy I sought was found in the heart of Jesus. That’s when I first said “yes” to following him, and I began to experience a deep, freeing satisfaction that I had never felt before.”
The Where and the When
If the actual location helps paint the picture for the listener, then do it but don’t feel like there’s an obligation to. Sometimes this includes describing your age and the situation you were in (lifestyle, friendships, employment, city/town, etc.). This part is meant to draw people into your canvas:
“I was 18 when God spoke to me. It was early Fall and I was at a retreat centre deep in the woods of Alberta called, Ephphatha House.
“On the grounds was a large chapel with a massive stained-glass picture of Jesus known as the Divine Mercy. It’s a painting of an actual vision that a young Polish nun, St. Faustina Kowalska, saw while in prayer: an image of Jesus standing in a doorway with two rays of light emanating from his chest and an inscription below his feet that reads: ‘Jesus I trust in you.’
“His stained-glass eyes would follow me as I walked from one side of the chapel to the other. There was Jesus gazing at me and here was I, a beggar at his feet, hungover and lonely and empty.”
The How
“On the last day of the retreat I walked into the same chapel, looked up at the Stained-Glass Gaze of Jesus and felt this sensation of love in a way that I hadn’t encountered before. His face was brighter and the gaze was more penetrating and in an instant I heard him speak:
‘Kevin, I love you. Take up your cross and follow me.’
“It was in that moment that I knew everything I was looking for was found in Jesus. The desire for belonging, for freedom, peace, joy, happiness … all of it was found in Jesus. I gave him the only answer I could ever possibly utter: ‘yes.’”
That’s how Jesus transformed my life.
Think about this: every time my testimony and yours are read, spoken, and described … Satan’s defeat becomes more and more devastating.
What’s your “how”?
Your Missionary Elevator Speech is your apologia. You don’t need to embellish it, and you absolutely do not need to feel “less than” because someone else has a more dramatic story. Remember: your story--told by the only person who can (*ahem* … that’s you)--conquers Satan.
I encourage you: ask the Holy Spirit to help you and then take the time to pray about, write, and to practice your testimony. Trim it down to 2-3 minutes. Then testify!
“… and he said, ‘if these should hold their peace, the stones would shout’” (Luke 19:40).
Testify before the stones begin to shout.