“A Testimony for the Family” —
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” ~ ✨
This short sharing is about a testimony I gave before my family.
My brother and his family moved to Australia years ago, so we rarely have the chance to meet. I often remember them in my prayers for their salvation. Besides sharing the gospel through words and letters, I also testify to the love of the Lord Jesus Christ for them through loving actions. Last October, I went to Australia to attend my niece’s wedding. Despite the long journey, I saw it as a precious opportunity to give a good testimony before my family.
Prior to this trip, I hadn’t left home for six years. Having not flown for so long, I felt unfamiliar and uneasy about taking a long-haul flight and handling the new online visa application process myself. To make a long story short, with God’s help, everything went smoothly. When the day came, I embarked on a 12-day trip between Sydney and Canberra in Australia.
The weather in Sydney and Canberra was quite different from my previous two visits ten years and over twenty years ago. Melbourne is known as the “four-season-in-a-day” city, but this time, I experienced similar daily weather variations in both Sydney and Canberra. My niece’s wedding was held at a pastoral farm located between Sydney and Canberra—the ceremony in the garden and the reception indoors.
Due to the unstable weather, my family and niece were worried it might rain on the day, or even that there could be rainstorms. Although there were contingency plans, the atmosphere and momentum would have been greatly diminished. I prayed about this. In my prayer, I asked God, for His name and the name of His beloved Son Jesus Christ, to establish my faith in Him and make His gracious hand visible. The night before the wedding, at the dinner table, I prayed with my family, asking God to remember this matter.
On the morning of the wedding, from the farthest view at the holiday house, I saw a long, river-like dark cloud hanging on the horizon. I prayed again for the day’s testimony. Then we set off. When we arrived at the farm, the sun came out and the sky was beautiful. Relatives and friends congratulated my brother and his wife, saying their daughter was so lucky. I said it wasn’t luck. Just as I was about to continue, my niece-in-law (a non-believer) beside me said, “It’s God!”
The wedding ceremony proceeded as planned in the garden. Afterwards, we enjoyed the reception indoors, and everything was perfect. After the meal, guests moved to the outer hall to chat and drink. Just then, we heard loud thud, thud sounds from outside. We approached the glass doors and windows and saw hailstones falling, and the sky turned dark. This lasted about 20 minutes—an extraordinary sight. My heart immediately cried out, “Hallelujah!” I thanked God! I am not one to read into things hastily, but I could discern the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God!
After the wedding, I offered thanks to God in our family group chat. I also explained the spiritual meaning behind the events using physical phenomena. My brother said in the group, “Thanks be to God!” My other family members responded to me and the gospel I shared with even more love.
The gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:17). However, many believers feel that sharing the gospel with family is harder than with outsiders. Whilst I somewhat agree with this sentiment, we have the Lord’s promise: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household” (Acts 16:31). Although this is a promise, it is not “automatic transmission”; it is “manual transmission.” That means believers must “speak” through their daily lives and actions, testifying that the gospel can transform a person’s life.
Believers share the gospel not only with words but also with the testimony of their daily lives; words introduce the gospel, and living behaviour interprets it. Sharing the gospel in this way is pleasing to God and commended by people. The reason I can share the gospel at home is that I can do all things through God who gives me strength.
✨✨💖 ~
Philippians 4:12-13
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
en yan hua fang 