Sunday, August 3, 2014

The Power of Your Story and mine...


Your story is important and powerful.  It's a living testimony today.  But it has to be presented in an honest and frank way.  Don't worry about how you look, worry about how to showcase the wonderful nature of Christ. 

2 Corinthians 11:28-31 (NLT)
28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?
30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. 31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying.

It's so important to be real. So important to be real.  I will sacrifice again and again in my "career in ministry" if you really want to call it that, I will sacrifice my "credible appearance" for the sake of being genuine, real, and true every single time.  Over and over and over again I will brag on what a screw up I am and how awesome Jesus Christ is.  I'll brag on the Grace I live within on a daily basis.  Really there is no reason what so ever to hide your troubles, or hide your pains, or keep certain things secret, or whatever.  They call that professional detachment or maintaining credibility or some such nonsense, I'm sure it works fine in cognitive behavioral therapy, but this is the body of Christ.  We're not playing church here, this is life and death.  Not just of the body, but of the mind.

And we're center stage.  This is it.  Countless millions of souls hang in the balance everyday.  About 100,000 people die worldwide everyday.  And where are they going?  For many, they are headed to a real place of disconnection.  Many choose lifetimes of willful rejection of God awaits many.  

They must hear and they will hear, and the final decision is theirs.

But my goodness let's get on top of this thing.  And I can do that by being honest, straight forward and genuine about where I'm at.  

I've shared brief segments of my story from varying perspectives in the course of building this blog.  And I'd like to share more of it with you all, my dear friends and allies in this spiritual struggle.  My spiritual journey is something I blog about regularly because it speaks to the truth of what I know, and where I've been and where I'm hopefully going.  

Let me tell you that your story is important. 

 It's very important, and when there is pain or depression in your life, look back to your story, write it out, look it over, and talk to others about what you start to notice.  It's important in that way for one, and for two it's important as a testimony to others for where you were, where you are now and where you're going.  A personal testimony is hard to disagree with, because it's so personal and powerful.  

Write out your testimony, share your story.  It's powerful.  Set it in your mind, and learn to tell it and retell it.  In the book of Acts one of the greatest missionaries, the Apostle Paul told his testimony again and again as he came before Jews, Greeks, Romans, leaders, beggars, and everyone in between.  He encountered Jesus Christ.  So did I.  So did you!  Write that story, tell pieces of it, when coworkers are in pain, when friends feel lost, share a part of your story that might encourage them or help them to see their way through.  Don't worry, God will speak through you at those times and guard and guide your words.

Psalm 121:8 (TLB) He keeps his eye upon you as you come and go and always guards you.