What is Your Story?

Last week I was giving a seminar to 14 people training to be in ministry. They gave me 75 minutes to speak about "speaking".  I know-that sounds weird. The most powerful thing for me as a communicator is to be myself. I discovered along the way that God gave me a story (granted I might not like all of it), but the story is meant to be shared in a way to bring God glory and honor. The truth is: WE ALL HAVE A STORY!

What I have learned is this, the stories we live as Christians impact the way we parent. Say that with me: the story we live impacts the way we parent. There are 4 different stories that Christian families live: (thanks to @MarkMatlock and @OrangeLeaders)

1. Isolation from the World

Parents hope to protect children from the world. Usually this comes from a pursuit of holiness, but the motivation is fear. Walls get built up and the problem is that LOVE never gets out and these familes hardly ever engage the world. And that is just not how Jesus lived. We are the light, and it is hard to see the light when it is in a room and the doors are closed and the windows covered. John 17: Jesus prays for believers (US) and he prays that we would be in the world and protected even though we are not of the world. We are called to live in this world with a purpose and mission. We can't shy away from this idea.

2. Regulating the World's Influence

This tends to be a list of don'ts. Don't do this. Don't do that. And while it is correct that we shouldn't be doing those things and we must guard our children as parents, it can lead to a legalistic approach to the world and the family will not take risks. Focusing on only the don'ts can keep us from doing the do's that the world needs and that we are called to do. We are called to live a life of mission, Matthew 28. We are called to do things as we follow God's will, Ephesians 2:10. 

3. Agree with God and the World

This is described by Mark Matlock as the 2-headed snake. This story tries to live for Jesus and be involved in His story in a positive way, but they also buy into the success as the world defines it. School takes priority over faith. Sports come first. And church and faith can become an option, without that even being the intention. But these families never fully live the story that Jesus calls his people to live. The sad thing about the 2-headed snake is that you hardly ever see them alive in nature. Sure they are in zoos, but not in nature and the reason is simple. They have 2 brains. When a predator threatens one brains says go left and the other says go right and what ends up happening is that the snake is immobilized and goes nowhere. And it devoured. Romans 12:2a: "Do not conform to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

4. Transform the World

This is the way that live that has a purpose to be reformers in the world that is broken. 2 Corinthians 5:20 states: "we are therefor Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." An interesting fact about families that live this story is that usually their homes are embassies for the kingdom of God. Others are welcome and feel safe and loved in these homes. Centers of activity. The is life. The life is built on the love that comes from Jesus and faith in him.

This makes me think and not necessarily as a pastor of students, but as a father. What story am I living? Because the story I live will be the story my my children will grow up knowing. And I want them to be used by God in a transforming and eternal way. If I want that for them, Jess and I had better be making it our story.

What story are you living? Time to be honest. What we do now impacts what our children do later.