What’s Your Story?

(Jer 29:11 NLT) For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

This morning we continue to discuss vision/purpose for 2010. For the last couple of days we have been dealing with this and I believe it is a critical topic, at a critical time (the beginning of the year), which can help us shape the outcome for this year.

Oftentimes the best thing we can do to prepare for what’s ahead of us is to study what’s already behind us. Our life is not a series of random events, but rather our life’s story. In “To Be Told” Dan Allender asks the question, “What’s your story?” and he says the following about it:

Everyone has a story. Put another way, everyone’s life is a story. But most people don’t know how to read their life in a way that is a story. They miss the deeper meaning in their life and they have little sense of how God has written their story to reveal Himself and His own story… If you don’t think such things are important, consider a conversation I had recently with a friend who was weighing a career move. He showed me a list of prose and cons. There were an equal number of problems and benefits no matter what he decided—whether he changed jobs or stayed where he was. “If the list is weighted according to my values and dreams,” he observed, “it’s a dead heat. I might as well flip a coin.” But my friend was overlooking his own story, the one thing that would give him direction in making this decision. He had not considered God’s authorship of his life. “Which choice will allow you to live most consistently with how God has been writing your life’s story?” I asked… “Why would I study my life?” he asked… Most of us have spent more time studying a map to avoid getting lost on a trip than we have studying our life so that we would know how to proceed in the future… Why will we read various op-ed pieces to help clarify our views on a controversial topic, but ignore our own past, which helped form our most important views? …seldom do we approach our own life with the mindset of a student, eager to learn, gain insight, and find direction for the future.”

God is not merely the creator of your life. He is the also the author of your life and He writes each person’s life to reveal His divine story… neither your life nor mine is a series of random scenes that pile up like shoes in a closet. We don’t have to clear out old stories to make room for new ones… With core issue, things start to get exiting. When I study and understand my life story, I can then join God as a coauthor. I don’t have to settle for merely being a reader of my life; God calls me to be a writer of my future…, there is a necessity and blessing in telling your story to others. To the degree that we know God and join Him in writing our story, we are honored to join others in the calling of storytelling.”

As you prepare for this year, I am led of the Father to ask you to look back so that you will be better equipped to look forward.

You have a story, but you may not have taken the time lately to read it, or more importantly, to realize that you are also helping write it.

So what does this mean to you? It means that you owe it to yourself, your God, your family, and all those that you have the ability to influence, to read and to actively help write your story.

Father, thank You for being the Author and Finisher of my life. I also thank You for blessing me to be a co-author with You. You have given me the right and ability to make decisions and since I want to arrive at Your ultimate destination for my life, I declare, by faith, that I will make decisions that are in alignment with Your plan for me. But to make the right decisions I must study my story. As I prepare for 2010, I will take the time to study my story, to comb over what You have been doing in my life, and to make informed decisions as You and I co-author this year to be the best year I have ever lived! This chapter is going to be AWESOME! In Jesus’ name. Amen!