Good Things Travel by Word of Mouth
The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; parents tell their children about your faithfulness. – Isaiah 38:19 (NIV)
When buying something on Amazon I always read the reviews first. If I’m buying a new cookbook, I want to hear about the recipes from people who actually used the book and took the time to share what they know. My wife wrote a review on Amazon for Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian that is still that book’s number one negative review after seven years (sorry, Mr. Bittman).
The truth is that testimonies have power. For all the technology at their disposal, for all their resources, for all their global reach, Amazon still relies upon the simple fact that people take personal testimony seriously. People trust one another’s motives, and that’s powerful.
It bothers me to think that I might be reminded of the importance of testimony by an entity with “.com” in its name. Because if people want to hear from others before they will commit to a cookbook, how much more will they want to hear from others before they will commit to a life of faith?
Today, learn this lesson from a trustworthy source: the prophet Isaiah. Today you are alive, and it is the gift of the living that we may praise God and testify to God’s goodness. You have good news worth sharing with those who need it. Tell one person today about how God has been a blessing in your life. It will gladden the heart of God and maybe—just maybe—it might help the church a bit too.
Prayer
God, help me to share the joy you have given me with others.
About the AuthorJohn Edgerton is Lead Pastor at First United Church of Oak Park, Illinois.