Telling Your Precious Story and Listening to Others Will Revitalize Your Faith Five Day Bible Plan With Steve Morrisنموونە

Day Two: The power of testimony

'As Paul was not an eyewitness, he realized he had a different kind of story to tell. He had to be a different kind of witness . . . he had his own story to tell, that was what he had to vouch for. It is what we have to vouch for too. The other followers, like John and Peter, don’t seem to have such a pressing need to tell their story, although we do hear some of it. The real imperative for them was that they were there – they saw it all.’ (Steve Morris, Our Precious Lives [Milton Keynes: Authentic Media, 2020] p.114).

In many ways our most powerful apologetic is our own story – not an airbrushed one, but the story of our faith in all its ups and downs. Theology has its place as does learning about the faith and its history. Of course. But this alone is not enough to make us a true ambassador for God. We have a speaking ministry and speaking of our own lives talks into the depths of others.

In the reading from Mark, Jesus sends the man he has liberated from mental illness home to his family and friends to speak of his joy and liberation. The reading from Paul and his letter to the Galatians is astounding really.

Paul is sometimes seen as a bit dry – a theologian in the field. But when he is confronted with a serious intellectual difficulty in the church, he doesn’t fight teaching with other teachings. Instead he tells his simple life story and how Jesus changed everything. It is a good lesson.

Prayer:

Thank you for the new story you have given us. Thank you that you have helped us to be part of the big story of grace. Let us share our stories with sensitivity and tact – matching the story with the needs of the listener and knowing when to stop and listen again. Let us take Paul’s example and simply speak about your great works and transforming work.