The Master Storyteller
We’re living through extraordinary times. As I write this, New York City is entering a curfew. There are two global pandemics: one attacking our respiratory system, another attacking the soul of this nation. While all this is happening, there is a very deliberate and overt war being waged on truth. “Fake news” is now a cliché saying, propaganda floods our social media feeds and our leaders seem to be propagating it. What is going on? What is the truth? Where is our leadership? Where is God?
I’ve had to lean more on my faith in recent times than ever before. By nature, I’m a very logical person so faith has not always come easily to me. I’m daily being forced to reconcile what I believe in, with what’s going on in the world. I’ve had to bring these tough questions to God in a way I’ve never done before. This is what I’ve learned.
First, I realized that my questions don’t scare God. They aren’t problematic and it's OKAY to have questions, doubts, and concerns. It’s also okay to not have the words to say. It’s okay to be mad and frustrated. God is cool with all of it. I am convinced that God doesn’t want to leave us with unanswered questions.
The second thing I’ve learned is that God is incredibly personal. God doesn’t want to just answer our questions, He wants to be in conversation with us. He prefers to give us an experience with Him. One uniquely tailored for us, ripe with evidence and detail of His existence and His nearness. Yes -- the God that created the Universe, the God that’s busy holding it all together, wants to get personal with us, individually. A trip down memory lane for some of us may illuminate times where God himself was knocking on the door. An instance we may have chucked up to luck or good fortune may actually have been a glimpse into His providence in our lives; opportunities to get into a conversation with Him.
The truth is, God is a master storyteller. We know this because He chose to reveal Himself through a book. Think about that. He continues to use story to reveal Himself to the world through the Bible. God will use the story of the world today, as crazy as it may seem, as a part of His master reveal plan. To make it personal, He’s also written a story for you too, and through it, He plans to reveal Himself to you. God is in the story. He’s not asking us to ignore reality. He’s not detached from the good or the bad times. He’s actually always there, in your story. Are you paying attention? Here’s the playbook:
The first step in recognizing God in the story is to surrender our control to Him. I know, this is a huge ask for many of us. I too, struggle with the need to maintain control of many areas of my life. I promise you, the humility to admit to yourself that you don’t have all the answers is exactly what He’s after. There simply is no way around it. These are the new lenses He wants you to put on. You’ll begin to see things differently. The reality is that you aren’t in control of anything now anyway. If the past few months have revealed anything, it is how quickly things can change, how easy it is for us to lose our illusion of control. The Bible reminds us that His thoughts are higher than ours. <Isaiah 55:8> He knows what’s next, He knows what’s best, and we get the choice to believe that. That’s huge for me. When I understood that God isn’t in the business of removing my choices, even the very choice to believe and trust Him, I realized that the relationship wasn’t one-sided. I have something to bring to this relationship. My opinions, my questions, and even my will is valued. It’s important to Him that I don’t feel forced or coerced. In fact, He will never force you into a decision, but He will require you to make the first one. <Rev 3:20> He’s a gentleman like that. It’s His nature.
The second step is understanding that our belief and trust are the fuel. Our faith is the canvas that He paints on. It’s the medium He will talk to us through. Your faith actually activates God. Here’s what you NEED to be aware of: this fuel can run low. It’s important that you keep your tank full. The fuel refill stations are found in reading, digesting and even discussing the Bible. Romans 10:7 says “faith comes by hearing and by hearing the word of God”. Not seeing but hearing. Miracles, signs, and wonders-- although cool--won’t help you believe. This is why community and relationship with others on the same journey is very important. The people on this journey will not only hold you accountable, they will also help you hear things you might have missed. You see, although God’s invitation to us is personal, our stories with Him include other people; some who have answered the same invitation, and some who haven’t as yet. When I understood that Christianity is a team sport, I realized that I could not show up on the field without my teammates. Even if I have on the right uniform, and I practiced all week, I need my team if I want to win. <Hebrews 10:24-25> Find your community, protect it, your story with God depends on it. You can’t do it on your own.
Lastly, we need to be conscious of our roles in the lives of others. Are we being good team players? Is our presence building people up or tearing them down? Are we adding truth and value, or lies and mischief? How I am used in the story of others is something that has kept me up at night. I am by no means perfect but thankfully my past doesn’t define my future. <Romans 8:38-39> In fact the broken and messy things about our lives is the paint on that canvas that He turns into a masterpiece. He specializes in making scary things beautiful. Don’t hide the paint from the artist. He knows about it anyway. It’s important that we show up as ourselves. The best part is that He won’t leave you in the mess. He will reveal things to you that need to be changed. He will challenge you to be a better version of yourself. He will set you in purpose.
I can see that our world is rapidly changing. I know that there is a lot of uncertainty about our future. I sense the call to mobilize, to speak up and fight for what’s right. I can admit that I don’t have the answers. Thankfully, I’ve met someone who has them. I know that He has seen the end of today’s story because He’s written it. I trust that He knows how to get us all there better than I do. I’m not interested in figuring it out on my own. I’ve given Him control and have asked Him to make me a better person even as I seek to help bring about a better world. I have decided to follow Jesus. Will you join me?
