IN THE BEGINNING; THE DEVINE POWER OF YOUR STORY

We won’t begin to understand our lives, or what this so-called gospel is that Christianity speaks of, until we understand the Story in which we have found ourselves.

For when you were born, you were born into an Epic that has already been under way for quite some time. It is a Story of beauty and intimacy and adventure, a Story of danger and loss and heroism and betrayal.

And here’s where we run into a problem. For most of us, because we do not understand our significance in this magnificent love story, life feels like a movie we’ve arrived at forty-five minutes late.

We find ourselves in the middle of a narrative that is sometimes wonderful, sometimes awful, often a confusing mixture of both, and we haven’t a clue how to make sense of it all. It’s like we’re holding in our hands some pages torn out of a book. These pages are the days of our lives. 

It seems like fragments of a story. They seem important, or at least we long to know they are, but what does it all mean? If only we could find the book that contains the rest of the story.

Something important seems to be going on … maybe. I mean, good things do happen, sometimes beautiful things. You meet someone, fall in love. You find that work that is yours alone to fulfill. But tragic things happen too. You fall out of love, or perhaps the other person falls out of love with you. Work begins to feel like a punishment. Everything starts to feel like an endless routine.

 If there is meaning to this life, then why do our days seem so random? What is this drama we’ve been dropped into the middle of? If there is a God, what sort of story is he telling here?

No wonder we keep losing heart. Without the concept of the main plot or the knowing the heart of the author how can we even begin to come alongside and write our own chapter.

We have dissected God, and man, and the gospel, and we have thousands, if not millions, of facts—all of it quite dead. It’s not that these insights aren’t true; it’s that they no longer speak. I could tell you a few facts about God, for example. He is omniscient, omnipotent, and immutable. There—don’t you feel closer to him?

All our statements about God forget that he is a person, and as Tozer says, “In the deep of His mighty nature He thinks, wills, enjoys, feels, loves, desires and suffers as any other person may.”

How does anyone get to know a person? It’s through stories. All the wild, sad and courageous tales that we tell—they are what reveal us to others.

 We must return to the Scriptures for the story that it is and stop approaching it as if it is an encyclopedia or a 1099 IRS tax form, looking for “tips, techniques and loopholes.

In this grand narrative being written, you hold a unique, autobiographical chapter in the greatest romantic saga ever told.

Remarkably, you get to decide. You are the director of your story, and it’s being written with or without your input. Either you write it, or the world writes it for you. But if you choose to take the reins, you’ll find an incredible co-author who specializes in weaving adventure, beauty, and intimacy into every step of your journey.

In order for us to write a meaningful chapter in the Lambs book of life, we must realize that Christianity, in its truest form, tells us that there is an Author and that he is good, the essence of all that is good and beautiful and true, for He is the source of all these things and He has created everything we love.

 It tells us that He has set our hearts’ longings within us, for He has made us to live in an Epic. It warns that the truth is always in danger of being twisted and corrupted and stolen from us because there is a Villain in the Story who hates our hearts and wants to destroy us.

 It calls us up into a Story that is truer and deeper than any other, and assures us that there we will find the meaning of our lives. And from that perspective is where we gain inspiration to write our chapter.

Reminders of the Story are everywhere—in film and novels, in children’s fairy tales, in the natural world around us, and in the stories of our own lives. In fact, every story or movie or song or poem that has ever stirred your soul is telling you something you need to know about this sacred romantic epic.

Even nature is crying out to us of God’s great heart and the drama that is unfolding. Sunrise and sunset tell the tale every day, remembering Eden’s glory, prophesying Eden’s return. These are the trumpet calls from the “hidden battlements of eternity.” We must capture them like precious treasures, and hold them close to our hearts.

In gathering information to form your story, meditate on these thoughts;

God is good and it is His goodness that causes heart change.

Everything you love God created just for you.
The rewards exceedingly outweigh the risk of trouble.
Something of yours is hidden in the ancient past.
Something dangerous and risky is now unfolding.
There is something waiting in the future for us to discover.
There is a crucial role for us to play.

“The journey may not always be easy or safe, but it will be beautiful and adventurous. Moments of brokenness will be accompanied by profound intimacy with God.”

Sharing your story can instill hope and life in others. By daring to believe and respond to God’s love, your story becomes a legacy.”

In essence, every individual’s story is a testament to the divine romance between God and humanity. It’s an adventure of faith, love, and discovery that transforms lives and inspires others.”

Embrace your divine gifts, actively participate in writing your story, and allow your unique journey to unfold. Each chapter matters in the monumental epic of life, and by sharing your stories, you can make an extraordinary impact on the world.”