In our text, we see Jesus instruct the man who He had just delivered from the possession of many demons to return to his community and give a detailed account of his background and his deliverance/encounter with Christ – and the man obeyed.

The man went into his community and started sharing his testimony of who he was, the condition Jesus found him in and what Jesus did for him; and the people who heard his testimony were amazed and drawn to Christ. It is important to note that God has given each one of us a ‘life message’ to share for the salvation of souls, which is the most important thing to God.

So when we became believers, we also became God’s messengers. God wants to speak to the world through us, especially with our individual life messages, which has four parts: testimony, life lessons, godly passion(s) and the Good News.

Your testimony is the story of how you began a relationship with Jesus Christ, which differs from person to person. It includes your repentance and acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. Sometimes, people are more interested in your personal story about your relationship with Christ than the preaching of the bible or theology.

A personal testimony is a very powerful tool in the hands of the Holy Spirit and can be used to bring men and women, young and old, to the saving knowledge of Christ. For emphasis, God has given us different testimonies, some more interesting than others, but all are important.

Secondly, your life lessons – which are unique to you – are the most important lessons God has taught you through your experiences with Him. These are typically lessons and insights you’ve learnt about God, relationships, problems, temptations and other aspects of life. Based on your experience(s), God has made you an expert in certain fields and when you share such knowledge, you become a powerful tool in the hands of the Holy Spirit to help people and you glorify God. So do not waste your experiences or testimony, share them!

Thirdly, your life message includes your godly passion(s). Our God is a passionate God; He passionately loves some things and passionately hates other things. As you grow closer to God, He will give you a passion for something He deeply cares about – for you to be His spokesperson in the world. It may be a passion about a problem, purpose, principle or group of people; whatever it is, you will feel compelled to do something about it and make a difference.

Finally, your life message includes the Good News – the general message that God has given to us as believers to share with the world: that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16 KJV). This message combined with our unique testimonies, life lessons and godly passion(s) are to be used to make the gospel attractive, to bring people to Jesus and accomplish God’s divine plan for those touched by our life messages.

So when we talk about soul winning, it is not just about gathering together and going to talk to people in the streets – which is okay, but we can use our personal experiences, lifestyle and passions to advance the frontiers of God’s kingdom. Remember, God’s highest priority is soul winning and we should prioritise it!