Is My Story Worth Telling?
Today’s reading: 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
We learned on Day One that God is the greatest storyteller. Maybe you are wondering if your story has the same impact, and you’re asking, “How could God use my broken, messy story?” It can be easy to feel like our stories are not good enough, like maybe if we clean up this part or leave out that part it would be better. But the truth is, everything you have experienced has brought you to the place you are today – the good, the bad and the ugly.
Think about a time when someone shared something personal about themself that you related to. Maybe they shared that their parents got a divorce and suddenly you felt understood and seen because of your own childhood. Or maybe you just found out a loved one has cancer and a friend shared that they also have a family member that has battled cancer as well. The truth is, when we hear someone share something that relates to our story, we let our guard down, and we feel understood. Our Scripture reading for today talks about this. Our story can bring comfort to others.
This is an idea that we see throughout Scripture. All of the people we read about in Scripture have a story to tell. Thank goodness the authors of the Bible did not leave out the loss, the flaws, the mistakes, and the disabilities that many of the people we “look up to” in Scripture had.
- Moses – Had a speech problem
- Gideon – Was afraid and did not believe in himself
- Peter – Denied Christ three times
- Paul – A Pharisee who persecuted and killed Christians
Yet,
- Moses- was used by God to rescue the Israelites from slavery and lead them to the promise land. (Exodus 14)
- Gideon- God believed in him and used him to win an unlikely battle (Judges 7)
- Peter- Jesus forgave Peter and proclaimed that he would be the rock that the church was built on. (Mathew 16:18)
- Paul- Encountered Jesus and completely changed his life. He went from killing Christians to becoming one and ultimately writing much of the New Testament. (Acts 9)
These are all great reminders to us that God can redeem even the seemingly broken pieces of our story for his glory. Maybe you have a past that is riddled with fear, anxiety, and depression. Maybe addiction is part of your story. Maybe you ran from God for many years and hurt people you love along the way. Or maybe you look at your story and feel that it is insignificant. Whatever your situation is, God promises to use those stories to relate to others and use you to show his love to those in similar circumstances.
Everybody has a story worth telling because God is the greatest storyteller, and God created YOU. He wants every believer to come together as one body of Christ and use the good, the bad and the ugly of their stories to reach others. You never know whom you might encounter who is struggling with something you’ve battled with in the past. Because you have already walked through a similar situation, it may be easier to understand and empathize with that person. It helps us connect with others in their time of need.
Use the PRAY (Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield) acronym to spend time in prayer.
Have you ever had a time where you were comforted by someone’s vulnerability because it related to your own life?
