It seems to be popping up everywhere...from radio to the new MOPS theme: Embrace Your Story.
And it is bugging me! Why? NOT because telling stories from our lives whether amazing or ordinary is a bad thing, but because it seems to be yet another distraction from simply being who we are in Christ. We matter, every part of us because God says so;
Our stories don't make us matter-Christ does.
Yet, the human need for significance beyond our identity in Christ is strong. I know because I am guilty of it too.
It is just too hard to accept ordinary.
It is boring. It is hopeless and it isn't the abundant life God's word promises us.
Don't read me wrong...I believe God has gifted many of us to write or speak needed non-fiction stories (isn't that why some of us blog?). Who doesn't enjoy hearing a true story of perseverance or triumph that ends well?
Yes, I believe God can use us with our circumstances, events, etc. to encourage, inspire maybe even point someone towards accepting Christ, but our priority should always be getting to know a God who wants us to know Him, reading His true stories from His word, and it should give us peace to know we are remarkable; the very act of being created by a loving God, Father demonstrates how
worthy we are...that should be the story we are telling.
Linking up today at Lisa-Jo's Five Minute Friday
Thank you for being honest today. I agree with what you wrote, even if I might not "like" it because I'm guilty of using that buzz phrase, but I also would add that writing our "stories" is sometimes a way of accepting the ordinary, that thinking through God at work in and through us can help us recognize our identity in Christ. And our lives - or "stories" - are part of God's Kingdom - His story.
ReplyDeleteDionne, I like your take on this. "Ordinary" is good....following Jesus faithfully in obedience in the every day is a miracle in itself. May we never get away from where our true focus is--on lifting up and glorifying Him!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. I used to love soaking up people's life stories/testimonies but now, especially within the blogging world, there are so many that it is overwhelming. Often my sights end up being on these people rather than on God. Similar problems occur when reading books of the Christian greats (like George Meuller etc); I start looking at them and not at God. I think I grasp people's stories/testimonies best when I learn about them slowly, living alongside them and gradually understanding their relationship with Christ more and more deeply. There is so much depth and complexity to each of our lives in Christ.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the honest post!
I would love for you to swing by my blog if you get a chance!