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And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience– among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ–by grace you have been saved– and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:1-10
Sometimes, I tell the same stories multiple times. They are stories that were pivotal in my life. There are many stories from the summer I spent working in Kodiak, AK. Or maybe its about the time I piqued in my sports career in third grade. The time that my kid brother hit me above the eye with a golf club (a mistake) that required stitches and left a scar along my right eyebrow is one of my greatest hits.
We all share stories that make us who we are. But have we learned how to share how Jesus’ story is the foundational chapter in the book of our lives? It might seem difficult, but it is simple. Look at the Ephesians verses above, take a minute to read through them again. It helps give us a framework for how to tell our story in light of Jesus’ story.
- GRACE is the foundation – Our story always begins with what Jesus has done for us!
- Created in Christ Jesus – As we journey through this world, we are being created by Jesus. He is re-creating us to what God had originally purposed us to be before sin.
- We were created for purpose – God created each of us as His workmanship to do the good in the world that He placed us here to do!
How do we take these fundamentals and tell our stories? Simple: Grace + Jesus = The Good Story of our lives. Let me give you an example from my life recently:
Over the last several months I have been learning more about what it means to live in the grace filled identity that God has given me. It hit me one morning, Jesus talks so much about hope. I want to live as a person of hope. He used that morning realization to begin work that work in me which has in turn blessed my friends, family, and neighbors!
When we slow down, we realize that while we get to tell our stories, God is writing them!
Prayer
Lord, teach me to tell my story so I can see what you are doing in my life. Let me live the grace you have given to me, may Jesus continually recreate me, and may I walk in the purpose you have for my life! Amen.
Journal Questions
- Write a story from your life lately. Remember Grace + Jesus = The Good Story
- How do you see God at work writing your story recently?
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