Tell Your Stories

I’ve preached very few sermons that someone didn’t come up to me and, in jest ask “Have you been following me?”, “Do you have my house bugged?”, “Have you been talking to my spouse/parent?”, or “Were you lurking in the shadows at my workplace?” It is somewhat comical but shows the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to use The Scriptures and His storytellers to affect, influence, convict, encourage, and heal so many people from so many walks of life with one story.

Every breathing human being tells stories about things they’ve experienced and/or observed. Many, many people share these on their social media platforms. Life is a story, and we are designed to be the storytellers…all of us.

Unfortunately, some do it with ill intent or vengeful hearts. Some may mean it as a passive-aggressive attack on someone. Of course, these are wrong motivations, IF those are true motives…but I can only know a person’s true motives if the person admits it or I can read their mind. Otherwise, I’m just lowering myself to what I presume is their level by behaving the same way – judging as fact what I cannot possibly know. If I’m taking offense because I think it’s about me (and probably 5,000 other people who think the same thing), or worse yet, if I take ownership by proxy of offense because I think it’s about someone else (who isn’t even offended OR aware) – that’s on me – not on the storyteller. Chances are, I don’t trust the person and am assuming the worst about facts not presented.

But most are just sharing their experiences, lessons learned, or just making conversation. Let’s be honest – authors, journalists, bloggers, preachers, teachers, motivational speakers, influencers, and comedians would all be out of a job if there was something inherently evil about sharing the stories you’ve participated in and/or observed.

Hundreds of thousands of books (including the Bible) could never have been written if there was something evil about writing/talking about things you’ve experienced and/or observed and applying your thoughts or Yahweh’s inspired teachings about those things.

Now, if we’re talking about cowardly calling someone out behind a screen, naming names, throwing people under the bus, pointing blame, exposing secrets, or sharing confidential information that you’ve been trusted with – that’s an entirely different story. Many do it, but that doesn’t make it right. It’s a big part of what journalism today has become – partial or out-of-context truths, assumed motives, rumor-milling, and gossip-mongering. It’s wrong to do it with your friends, on your social media, on TV, or in print.

Tell your stories. Leverage who you are and what you’ve been given to help and serve others…some of my most tragic stories have helped way more people than they hurt me. Do it with compassion. Do it with humility. If you’re a follower of Jesus, do it for the Kingdom and not for yourself. One of the greatest truths for those of us who are followers of Jesus is this – realizing that it’s not really MY story. It is HIS story!

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ~Philippians 4:8