You Don’t Need a Wild Testimony to Be Used by God

Your story—“boring” or not—matters deeply.

Years ago, I was leading a large youth group. One night, I opened up to a handful of the girls and, for the first time, shared that I had gone through something traumatic when I was younger.

After I finished, one of the girls looked at me and said,
"I always wondered why you were chosen to lead the youth group… you just seemed like you had it all put together. But now I see—you actually have a story."

I knew she probably meant it as a compliment. But all I could think was, Wait… so I needed a visible wound to qualify as a leader?

Here’s the truth:
Nothing merits you the right to share the Gospel.
You don’t earn that right by surviving trauma.
You don’t become "more anointed" because your story is dramatic.
We share the Gospel because of grace. Period.

Steve once told me about a friend of his who literally left the church to join a gang because he felt like he didn’t have a testimony.
He wanted to “get a story.”
And I said, “Man… that’s demonic.”

Because it is.

The fact that the enemy has convinced so many Christians that they’re not worthy to proclaim the Gospel unless their story is intense enough is a lie straight from the pit.
Nope. Absolutely not.

Your story matters—even if it feels “boring.”
Because it’s not boring. It’s faithfulness. It’s consistency. It’s the keeping grace of God.

If your story is that you grew up in church, loved Jesus early, and never walked away—praise God.
If your story is one of healing after trauma—praise God.
If your story is quiet, slow, and still unfolding—praise God.

Because the power is not in the drama.
It’s in the Gospel.

Romans 1:16 says:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…”

Not the testimony. Not the platform.
The Gospel is the power of God.

So whether your story feels radical or regular, dramatic or simple, your voice is needed.
The Gospel shines through you, and that’s more than enough.