40 Day Walk With God — May 3, 2014

Day 13–
CONGREGATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Luke 8:38-39
The man from whom the demons had gone begged to come along with Jesus as one of his disciples. Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return home and tell the story of what God has done for you.” So he went throughout the city proclaiming what Jesus had done for him.

I recently came across an alarming statement which read, “Statistics show that 92% of Christians have never shared anything about their relationship with Christ, with others they know.”

As Christians, each of us is called to be a storyteller of what God has done, and what God is currently doing in our life. Not only was that the only method early Christians had to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ; it was then, and remains today, the most powerful and effective form of first-person evangelism.

If we are to live into the Great Commission, we must learn to see where God has been at work in our past, learn to see where God is at work in our lives today, and be willing to share these, our most personal GodStories, with others who do not have a personal relationship with Christ.

Let us covenant that when God brings someone across our path who is afraid or in pain and needs to hear our first-person account of how God helped us through a similar struggle or event in our life, we will offer our personal GodStory as a gift from God to that person. If we are faithful in this, God will bless us and bless the person hearing our GodStory.

The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “So continue encouraging each other and building each other up…”. What greater way can we encourage and build up each other, than through the sharing of our intimate GodStories about what God has done in our lives? When we are willing to share our GodStories, we help others overcome their fears, we strengthen their courage and offer them hope in Christ. We also create strong personal relationships because of our willingness to be vulnerable.

Prayer:
Gracious Lord, give me ears to hear your voice and eyes to see your handy-work in my life each day. Help me to be aware that the greatest spiritual gifts I may ever have to offer others are my stories about your work in my life. Give me the courage to be vulnerable with others. Give me the words that encourage, words that build up and speak life into others. Help me to answer your call on my life to be your GodStory teller.
In Jesus’ name and for His sake I pray. AMEN.

David R. Reed
Memphis Conference Lay Leader