What do you think when someone tells you, "Give us your testimony"?
Is there a sense of anxiety because of being transparent? Perhaps you are the type that misunderstands the nature of a testimony and thus you consider it a 'religious' act?
Giving a testimony is no big deal, if you're able to surmount the challenge of being honest, detailed, and also emotionally stable. Being emotionally stable may be the most important factor, because you can't give an account of your past if you're not able to talk, stand, or otherwise keep from breaking something.
Often I am reminded of the importance of testimonies as I'm shopping.
I like to look at customer reviews to get a good understanding of the potential a product has to make me it's emotional slave; which simply means that I'm easily angered or brought to happiness.
When reading customer reviews, I'm usually not concerned with how a product makes an impact on the totality of an individual's life; which is the testimony. If anything, I just want to know the pros and cons that individuals have found that the manufacturer doesn't openly state. This is especially important with odd-ball gizmos or expensive purchases that aren't covered by some kind of extensive warranty.
However, when it comes to certain things I am looking for the total impact it has on an individual. My religious beliefs is one aspect, so is my artwork. Though it may seem weird for me to be concerned about how my art affects an individual in all areas of their life, it is important to me for a long list a reasons I can't go into right now.
Lately I have been finding my testimony soaked in by individuals who I otherwise wouldn't consider concerned about what I've gone through and how I've turned out. The blessing is in the reaction, not the story itself.
