Why You Have to Know Your Own Story
One of my favorite stories in the Bible is that of Joseph. It’s an incredible story that’s not too dissimilar to ours. It’s easy to look at Joseph’s story and think it doesn’t look like yours, but much like Joseph, our lives have low and high points. Those points have made the story of your life what it is, and they’ve made you who you are.
At times, Joseph knew exactly what God had for him. He was encouraged, respected, admired, and had favor. Then there were unthinkably terrible moments. And yet, all those moments were leading to a time when God would use him in such a remarkable way to rescue nations and his family.
Today, I want you to not be afraid that perhaps the low and high points of your life might not mean anything.
These parts of your life mean something because God wastes nothing. Scripture tells us that He works all things together for the good of those who love and follow Him and are called according to His purposes.
There is a story being built for each of our lives.
If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, He has designed good works for you. He has redeemed the dark moments of your life to mean something. And a redeemed story is more beautiful, poignant, and compelling than a perfect story.
We're all drawn, not to what is perfect but to what we relate to. We’re drawn to what means something to us and shows us that we're not alone in the world. And whatever your low or high points are, those are the places where God wants to begin to move into work.
Every counseling session you've had and every time you've spoken to somebody about your future probably began with “Tell me your story.” Our stories have made us who we are. They are the artifacts of our lives that tell of God. They’re the parts of our life that explain why we respond to things the way we do. God built our bodies to carry these stories with us.
Stories are what capture our imagination on Netflix. They're also what has captured people's imagination around campfires from the beginning of time. Even scriptures are often written in a story.
We live and love stories, but rarely do we love our own stories. Rarely do we feel proud of our story.
Most people I’ve encountered don't feel like their story is very significant. And I've never heard a story that wasn't significant.
Every story is the most compelling thing I've ever heard, and it tells me so much about someone. It tells me how and why they feel the way they do and what informs their values. You see baked into the human story the many ingredients that have made this one person.
A lot of times, we feel embarrassed about our stories. I mean, there are parts of my story that I'm incredibly embarrassed about. Other times, it's mistakes and decisions I've made that have been costly and embarrassing. Today, I want you to imagine that somebody is waiting for those dark parts. So often, our gifting and contribution that God is calling us to is born out of the dark parts.
I felt unknown and unseen growing up, and it wasn't my parents’ fault. In a lot of ways, they were incredible parents. I just didn't feel very understood by people. I fell in love with God so hard that most of my friends didn't relate to me. I didn't have a mentor until college. And so, I had this passion to help people not feel alone. I wanted to help people feel seen.
I try to help people be seen and known by God and by others. In so doing, I’m giving my life to what I felt was missing all my life. The thing that was missing from your life could be what propels you into what God has called you to do.
Romans 8:1 NIV – “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
When we believe this verse and let it wash over our stories, we stop hiding parts of our story out of fear because they are evidence of our God. They are evidence of His forgiveness, redemption, and how far He has brought us from the dark life we used to live.
Baked into the darkest moments of your life could be the assignments and callings of your life. We have a God who works all things together for the good. These moments are also for the good of others and of God’s works on this planet. It's so much bigger than just you.
In our weakness, God looks really good.
When somebody shares their story of walking through the darkest thing you can imagine, something in your heart wakes up. The stories of what God is doing in our midst are the greater works that Jesus talks about in the Scriptures.
We often look for miraculous healing. God is certainly on the move in the world, but the bigger miracle is not someone being healed physically. It’s the people who walk out of a porn addiction of 10-20 years and experience freedom and health. It’s also the people who walk through a terminal or chronic diagnosis but never quit praising God because they will be healed fully in heaven.
Those are the times when you’re reminded that there is a God. He is real, He is with us, and He loves us. You see the word of God come to life and believe it more because of what He has done for other people. It gives us hope and helps us remember that God can move in any situation.
What if in those very things that you have disqualified yourself for, He wants to work through? Today, I encourage you to write your story. Write four to five moments when you sensed the pleasure of God and saw Him show up in beautiful and powerful ways. Also, write about the low moments of your life. When you chart that out, you'll see that God was with you through all of it.
You’ll realize that those turning points in your life have made you who you are. The dark parts build our character. Scripture tells us that suffering produces character and hope. These are things that grow in us as we follow God through the valleys and confess our sins.
The good parts are important to your story too. Ask yourself, “What are the times when I've felt God's pleasure, that I've felt joyful and proud of the work I was doing? Those places will show you the beauty of God's story unfolding in your life. So, build bravery by remembering times when you sensed God's goodness over your life.
You can plot your story on pages 96 and 97 of ‘Restless.’ Identify a highlight from each stage of your life. When do you remember being proud and satisfied? Also, identify a memory from each stage of your life when you remember suffering. A lot of your passions will come from these places. Finally, I would encourage you to share your story with someone else.
You can get your copy of Jennie’s ‘Restless: Because You Were Made for More’ right here and everywhere books are sold. If you can’t afford the book, our team created a free PDF book club kit for you. There are prompts, conversation questions, and verses that go along with each Made for This episode.
MADE FOR THIS PODCAST
If you liked this content, you’ll love this season of the Made For This Podcast where we’ve been going through Jennie’s book Restless. Available anywhere books are sold!
