Story telling is a powerful tool for people of any age or culture. Whether it involves reading a story book to my grand-daughter or telling my co-workers about something that happened to me, a person’s interest is held captive by a story. I remember how powerful our story was after my wife and I lost our first child. God used that story of hurt, loss and total trust in Him to encourage and strengthen others going through similar trials. Telling others what Christ has done in our life is powerful. It’s difficult to refute what a person has experienced as real.
In Luke 8, Jesus healed a demoniac and set him free from many demons. This man whose life was transformed, is told by Jesus in verse 39 to “return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” The whole city would notice the change in this man’s life. I imagine as he told his story time and time again, others would want to experience the same change in their life that only Jesus could bring.
A similar experience happened to me when I was on mission in Brazil several years ago. I was given the opportunity to address a group of young men in a boys home. After praying about what to share, I felt strongly led to simply tell my story. I told how I was raised in an alcoholic home and suffered verbal and physical abuse by a step-father. However, there was a life change, family change, and eternal destiny change after Christ came to live in our hearts and home. I understood more clearly what it meant to be adopted by Christ when my step-father began to love me as a son.
This was a story that these young men could relate to. I understood the importance of telling my story when twelve of these young men professed faith in Christ after hearing mine. It wasn’t me or even the way I told my story that made the difference. It was the power of God through my story when I simply told others what Christ had done for me.
If you’re a follower of Christ, you have a story too. So what’s yours? Let me encourage you to tell your story as the demoniac did, and as I did. Tell others what God has done for you. If you’d like help, tools or resources for telling your story, visit: http://www.tellyourstory.today/. It could be that someone is waiting to hear your story today.
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