Why are we so afraid to share our stories?
Every minuscule detail...
Every nook and cranny...
The hard stuff and the happy stuff...
Why do we seemingly disengage when we are asked to share something so powerful?
Is it the fear of vulnerability? Partly. But, I think the real reason we cower when sharing our story is that our story is still open-ended. There has been no recent resolution. Our story is still in progress. There is no "happy ending." I am under the impression that modern Christianity is stuck with a large misconception that our stories need to have a "proper conclusion" to be able to be shared and used by God. My friends, this is toxic for the growth of the body. My story does not need to have a "happy ending" to share what has been going on in my life.
I do not need to have it all figured out.
I do not need to have a "happy ending" as the world, and as I, would understand a "happy ending" to be.
A good friend of mine recently shared with me that, sometimes, our stories do not need to have a "bow."
Wow. It does not need to be presented all "pretty and nice."
Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
He knows. He is aware and promises hope. Is that good enough for us? Is that good enough for me to trust in His words? Life is still hard. But, we somehow are living in this misconception that our stories must have a "bow" to be shared. We must have it all figured out. We must have reached a proper conclusion. It must all make sense now. We've reached this "a-ha" moment and now it all has come full circle.
Life was hard, but now it's all good.
I've trusted in God and now it has been smooth sailing.
My friends, this is such a wrong viewpoint.
In John 16:33 Jesus shares, "I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
Jesus told us that life was going to be hard (we will have tribulation). But, Jesus also told us that in Him our hearts can find peace because He overcame the most feared thing of all: death.
Death no longer has the final say.
Is that good enough for us?
Is that good enough for you?
We are missing out on amazing stories of trust when the only stories "able to be used by God" have this seemingly necessary "bow."
Scrap the bow.
We do not need to have our life story figured out to share how He has changed our lives from the inside out.
My life is in no way figured out.
There is no bow in sight.
Share your story.
Who cares about the rest.
That is the beauty of the Gospel.
We do not need to have it all figured out to be used by God.
We just have to be ready and willing.
Live in the freedom and abandonment that Christ provides.
He knows.
He is aware and promises hope.
Is that good enough?
Share your story tomorrow.
Share your story today.
