I love stories. Whether in print or on the screen, I love the ups and downs, twists and turns. Stories inspire us, challenge us. They open our eyes to those around us and cause us to look inside and see what we are made of. Whether it’s the fictious adventures of Aragorn in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings or the true heroism of American patriot Chris Kyle in American Sniper. The Bible is full of stories following a wide array of people. In the book of Genesis, we see Joseph going from being a beloved son in his father’s house to an Egyptian prisoner to second in command in all of Egypt! David goes from shepherd boy to the king of Israel. Deborah leading Israel when they had fallen into the hands of the enemy because of their disobedience. All stories have a main character, the one who the story is about. All the stories above, save that of Aragorn since it is written in fictitious universe, have one unifying main character. God! Yes, it is the easy Sunday school answer. God is the center of all! Contemporary Christian music group, Big Daddy Weave, have a song that focuses on this very topic, aptly named My Story.
“If I told you my story / You would hear hope, that wouldn’t let go / And if I told you my story / You would hear love that never gave up / And if I told you my story / You would hear life, but it wasn’t mine” When we look at our lives it easy to get consumed with our own role in the story that we miss what part we are playing. But if we are honest with ourselves as the artist of this song points out, this life isn’t ours. It belongs to God! Not as a narcissistic puppet master working all things to his petty liking but as our great Creator and merciful Father. He works for His good and His glory because there is no better purpose to work for.
God through the prophet Isaiah tells us that “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” What comforting news this should be! For we are fickle, temperamental people. Constantly failing and being distracted by every fluttering butterfly and shiny new app that comes out on our phone. This goes against our nature, living in a society that has us at the center of everything. We’ll even read the Bible with the same focus. Placing ourselves at the center of the story, as the conquering hero who is working in the power of God.
Quick rabbit trail…I promise it will connect. Pastor Matt Chandler preached a sermon in 2016 at the Code Orange Revival at Elevation Church. 1, His point was to wake people up from their idolatry and self-centeredness. In this sermon he famously says, “The Bible’s not about you!”. He brings this point home when looking at David. We often place ourselves as the hero slinging our stones at the problems in our lives and by the power of God taking down our giants, but as Chandler points out “You’re not David!”. If we are to accurately place ourselves in the story, we would have Christ as David, sin and death as Goliath, and ourselves as the helpless Israelites, powerless against the debt of our sin. Because though God is for us, he is primarily for Himself and his glory. The good, the bad, and the confusing all to the glory of God (1 Samuel 12:22; Psalm 19:1, 23:4; Isaiah 42:8, 43:7; John 11:4; Acts 9:16).
“If I told you my story, you would hear victory / Over the enemy / And if I told you my story, you would hear freedom / That was won for me” As we come back to the song, the second verse points this out, the freedom we have, the victory over sin was not ours but Christ! The chorus continues this message with “If I should speak, then let it be of the grace / That is greater than all my sin / Of when justice was served, and where mercy wins! / Of the kindness of Jesus, that draws me in / Oh to tell you my story, is to tell of Him” The story of our lives ought to be purposed to the glory of God. In our disobedience God can bring His glory in spite of us, or in our obedience show his glory through us (Exodus 14:4 verses 1 Samuel 14:6). We are made in his image, redeemed to spread his light in a world of darkness. I work for MoDOT (Missouri Department of Transportation) and they have rules for our PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and what it ought to look like, the color, pattern, material qualities, etc. The purpose for this is that we would be highly visible when on the roadway. If our vest is dirty, or our hard hat is covered in stickers, or they don’t have the requisite retroreflective material, it won’t reflect the light shining at us. Likewise, our lives should be the same, when we cover our lives in sports, and gaming, and social media, even something edifying like theology we cover the light within (Luke 11:33).
I’ll conclude with some reflection (pun intended) and a verse from scripture. When we get caught up in the business of the present or the pains of the past, it can be hard to focus on the grace promised by God. Not to prosperity or riches, but of treasure that will last (Matthew 6:19-20, 13:44). 1 Corinthians 15:50-58 sums this up well, the last verse says “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” May our lives be a chapter in the work of God that shows His love, His grace, and be for His Glory.
Until next time, keep listening for the WORD in Music. #CultivatingFaithOrg
- Matt Chandler | Code Orange Revival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQJeivfLA_U. September 21, 2016. March 5, 2023