Let’s talk about the testimonies that break the internet.

You’ve seen them; the jaw-dropping conversion stories, and the miraculous healings that go viral, even the ex-gang member who becomes a pastor overnight, or is it the addict who posts a dramatic before-and-after in just 30 days. These stories rack up millions of views online, endless shares, and comment sections overflowing with fire emojis and “glory to God.” And honestly? And honestly, they are beautiful. They’re powerful and real.

But this is what most people don’t talk about: most of God’s work and blessings in your life will never trend online and never be heard of.

You know that most of your spiritual growth won’t happen under stage lights or camera lenses. It will all happen in the quiet, ordinary moments that nobody will notice or care about. You won’t go viral for holding your tongue in that group chat. As much as there will never be a trending sound for choosing integrity when temptation hits you at 2a.m.,. nor a glossy carousel for trusting God when your bank account is low and your prayers feel unanswered.

Your testimony might not sound like, “I was blind, but now I see.” It might sound more like, “I’ve been showing up to the same job, the same church, through the same struggles—and somehow, I’m still here.” And you must realize that’s not a lesser story. That’s actually the kind of story God honors.

Categorically speaking, the Bible is filled with “ordinary” testimonies that rarely make the highlight reel. Let’s look at Joseph, for example. Everybody loves the dramatic part; going from prison to palace in a single day. But we all ignore or gloss over the thirteen long years before that. The years where he was just serving, waiting, and surviving. Joseph was faithful in Potiphar’s house as he was in prison. There was nothing glamorous about the seven years of injustice.

For a moment, can we even look at Jesus Himself; thirty years of quiet carpentry life before his three years of ministry that changed history? Jesus was hidden for 30 years; hammering nails, sharing meals, and living faithfully in a small town no one sang about (Luke 3:23).

God wasn’t wasting Joseph’s time in that cell, or Jesus’ time in Nazareth. God was shaping their characters in private long before their revealed purpose in public.

If you are going through a season of discomfort or any type of wilderness, don’t mistake that for being unseen. Trust in God and believe that your faithfulness is your testimony.

The dangerous comparison in our culture is that we are treating spiritual growth like it has to be a content or performance – thinking transformation will only matter if it’s dramatic enough to post about online. As humans, we feel like failures when our healing is slow, when that job is not coming through, or when we are not even rewarded the way we thought we should be.

Paul admonishes us in Galatians 6:4, which cuts through the noise: “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else.” God will not grade you against someone else’s viral moment. He’s watching your unseen faithfulness, not your engagement metrics online.

Furthermore, in Colossians 3:23, it says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human beings,” Notice it doesn’t say, “Make sure it’s share-worthy.” It says work like it’s for God, who sees the hours no one else applauds.

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Related Resources: Bible Gateway | Pew Research Center | The Bible Project