I Love To Tell the Story
by Sharon Wilson
At a recent Christian Women’s Conference, I had the opportunity to lead the “Get to know you” activities. It is always exciting to bring people together and learn new things about folks you haven’t met before or those you haven’t seen in a long time. The fact that you can get people to become vulnerable and share stories in a place they deem a safe environment is such a freeing experience. When people give a little of themselves, it creates a special bond.
After participating in this activity where stories of life were shared, I started thinking about how to connect this storytelling to getting to know God. If ever there was a safe place to share a little of ourselves and become vulnerable, isn’t it with God? He already knows us inside and out, so it is not like we have a story we can keep hidden from Him.
Doesn’t it seem like, when we confess our faults (weaknesses, mishaps, sins) to someone, we find them sharing their own right back (James 5:16)? It opens a line of communication that helps us bond as we realize we are all traveling the same potholed road to perfection.
Can we take this same approach with God? He doesn’t have any faults to confess. But therein lies the answer…He has no faults so we can count on Him guiding us to the smooth lane and helping us to avoid some of those potholes. For those of us who have children, isn’t that what we try to do? Tell them not to go down that road because we have been there and we know the painful lesson, so we help guide them to another path? We are God’s children (Galatians 3:26).
Getting to know God takes time and effort. He knows us already, but He wants us to get to know Him. He allows us, thanks to Jesus Christ and the torn veil, to come before His throne without condemnation when we share our stories, confess our faults and weaknesses. He answers us with forgiveness and love. He guides us to the smooth lane as He dialogs with us through His Word, revealing himself through His Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10). We don’t have to worry about it being a lie or misleading. He also tells us to ask, to keep knocking, and then to wait on Him (Matthew 7:7; Psalm 27:14). God is there to help.
Getting to know one another is a privilege God gives us so we can encourage one another, exhort one another in love, and be there to help each other in a time of need (Hebrews 10:24). Allow yourself to be vulnerable enough to bond by sharing your stories with others.
More importantly, allow yourself to open up to God, get to know Him, share your stories with Him. You will be amazed at how much you can bond with God and Christ which will ultimately guide you to the smooth lane for eternity. No more potholes!