Every year, the local pastor preached the same message to his church’s high school graduates. He would say, “One day you’re going to die. They will dig a hole and put you in it and throw dirt over your face. And at that time everyone will know whether you lived for a title or a testimony.”
He continued, “Pharoah had a title, but Moses had a testimony. Nebuchadnezzar had a title, but Daniel had a testimony. Herod had a title, but John the Baptist had a testimony. And Pontius Pilate had a title, but Jesus had a testimony.”
Are you living for a title or a testimony?
Life really is that simple. We live for one of two reasons – to impress others or to improve others. The title impresses, but the testimony improves.
Paul advised, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men” (Colossians 3:23).
Recovery Step: Pick one – title or testimony.
Author: Mark Denison
Mark and Beth Denison, married for 36 years, launched There’s Still Hope as a national movement to call men and women into lives of sexual integrity. Their ministry offers 90-day recovery plans for addicts and one-on-one and group coaching for addicts and their spouses. TSH also produces resources for pastors and churches to confront the porn epidemic that is destroying so many lives.
Dr. Denison was a senior pastor for over 30 years, NBA chaplain, and board chairman at Houston Baptist University three times. With a Master’s Degree in Addiction Recovery, Mark is a certified PSAP and active member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Mark has written four books on recovery: Porn in the Pew, 365 Days to Sexual Integrity, A 90-Day Recovery Guide, and 40 Days to Porn-Free Living. His latest book, Jesus on the 12 Steps, will be released later this year.
