Blessed to Tell Your Story

Monday we talked about the fact that we all have a God story to tell. A story that is in fact a blessing, although we might not see it as such. In Mark 5 we read the story of a demon possessed man being healed by Jesus. After he was healed, the man wanted to go with him.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” Mark 5:18-19

Jesus didn’t allow the man to follow him. Why not? Because the man was blessed with a story, and Jesus wanted him to go and tell it. Here are three ways in which your story is a blessing:

1. It’s a picture of God becoming visible in your world. God is invisible. He is Spirit. He is very much real, but he can’t be seen with the naked eye. But when you tell your GOD story, how God interacted with your life, God becomes visible to all those around.

2. It’s a reminder of who the main character is. This one is critical, because this answers the objections that we shared earlier, as to why we don’t think our story is a blessing (too flawed, too normal, too painful, too fake). The classic mistake we make is to think that we’re the main character in our story. And if we’re messed up, then so is the story. But we’re not the main character of the story. God is. He’s always been the main character. That’s why He’s God! So what if your story seems too flawed or too normal or too painful or too fake. Your GOD story isn’t the story of how awesome and perfect you are and how great life is turning out for you. Your GOD story is about a loving, forgiving God who pursued you even when you didn’t pursue him. Who forgave you time and time again, even though you continually made mistakes. Who loves you in spite of all your flaws. Who was there for you in your moments of deepest pain. Who brings life to your dead bones. Your story is about God, not you.

3. It gives hope to what God can do in others. Hope is the most valuable commodity in the world today. Millions of people live without hope. Without hope of a purpose, without the hope of a family, without the hope of forgiveness, without the hope of love. When you share your story of how God gave you purpose and family and forgiveness and love, you give them hope that maybe God can do that in there lives too. Believe me, there are people desperate to have something to hope in out there. People that are broken, hurting, desperate. We don’t give them hope when we pretend our lives are perfect and that there’s can be too if they follow ten simple rules. We give them hope when we share how imperfect and flawed we really are, but how God loves us and forgives us anyways.

You’ve been blessed with a story. It’s up to you to share it!