The Power of Story

Although most people have already heard little or more about Jesus Christ, and some may reject the validity of the Bible, they can't deny the changes in our lives. There is power in my and your story! People witness the transformations of our lives that are not empty claims but true stories, our stories!

To promote their products, most business entities make claims and tell stories that they are better than any of their competitors. Some are true, but many of those claims are untrue since we bought and found out about the poor quality of some of those products. Religious leaders do the same; they claim superiority over other religions. But how can we verify that such claims are valid?

Imagine if someone knocks on our door to sell a new shampoo. Would anyone buy it without knowing the seller? The product might be high quality, but we need to know the seller to trust what they say. In contrast, if one of our good friends recommends the same shampoo, the chances are that we will buy it. That is because when we trust a person, we trust their message! People will only believe our message if we are trustworthy.

Many who attend church or Christian communities may claim to be Christian, but nothing has changed in their lives.  They participate in such gatherings because it is a safe and pleasant place to find good friends. They may even believe in good behavior, although their lifestyles have remained unchanged. Some may be born-again but haven't grown into maturity. Sadly, neither of them has a telling story. 

But when we act upon what we have learned from the Scriptures, our Lord keeps changing and trimming barren branches, making our lives fruitful. If that changing process stops, we should ask God to refresh our souls. Maturing over time is different from accumulating spiritual knowledge. Not our wealth of knowledge, but our life changes lead people to salvation.

Therefore we read the Scripture, pray regularly, meet with other believers, and take the guidance of the Holy Spirit seriously to have our lives changed. Those changes are reflected in our behavior and the words in our mouths. When we share our stories with those who observe our lifestyles, they become curious and interested. When we share our stories with those who observe our lifestyles, their become curious and interested.

Our stories may impact many lives only if we share them with people. So many people, who didn’t know the Lord, became great evangelists and ministers because they listened to a story like yours and mine! We can share our stories in so many ways and styles. We may share something from our lives or ask a thought-provoking question.

A man named Frank Jenner used to go out every late evening to a crowded street for 16 years and greet people. He greeted people passionately with an opening phrase, "Young man, if you were to die tonight, where would you be, in heaven or hell?" Over the years, nearly 100'000 people heard those words; many woke up and surrendered their lives to Christ! So if a simple sentence can speak to many people and change their lives, our stories can do more effectively!

However, telling our stories isn't like preaching, sharing knowledge, or teaching the Bible. Instead, it's the short story of our lives that covers three distinct periods;

a) Our past lives,

b) How we accepted Christ, and

c) Our present life in contrast to our past.

Please click on “Writing My Story” to continue.