Everyone Has a Story

Everyone loves a good story. Stories have a captivating power over us because they touch on the deepest longings and aspirations of the human heart. They help us find meaning, inspiration, and direction. They shape who we are and how we process the challenges of life. Joshua Chatraw notes, “The stories we hear and tell each day frame how we live and answer the big questions of life. Who are we? What is the meaning of life? What is the fundamental problem, and how can it be fixed? Is there reason to have hope?” (Telling a Better Story, p. 5)

Life Story Cycles

We not only love stories, but build our lives on them as well. Each person has a story that they are constructing with their life in an attempt to find meaning and purpose. Each narrative looks different, but the basic flow of peoples’ stories can be summarized in these four points:

Hope: Hope refers to whatever we think will bring us satisfaction, stability, and peace. “If I just had ___________, then I would be happy.” The hope could be something as trivial as a toy or as significant as a relationship. Whatever we are hoping in becomes our functional god. 

Problem: The problem is that something or someone prevents us from realizing our hope. If we were able to change our circumstances, we reason, then we would be able to realize our hope. 

Salvation: “Salvation” takes place when the problem is overcome and the hope we long for finally becomes ours.

Fulfillment: In theory, fulfillment takes place when hope becomes reality. The problem, however, is that life apart from God is futile (see Ecclesiastes). Even if people do end up getting what they want, they won’t find settled rest or satisfaction in it. As Ecclesiastes 1:8 states, “All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.” As a result, people run from one hope to another in their longing to make sense of life.

Life Stories and Gospel Hope

How does the gospel relate to peoples’ life stories? Consider the following: 

Recommendations

If you would like to learn more about how to communicate the gospel in a Biblically faithful and culturally understandable manner, I would encourage you to sign up for our free online course, “The Disciple Making Life.” To gain access to this course, click here.

Also, I have written a gospel study specifically designed to lay out the central truths on the gospel for those with little or no Biblical background. You can find out more and purchase a copy of the book by clicking here.