The Art of Storytelling
Focus Scripture
“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.” – Revelation 12:11 NIV
“So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.” – 2 Timothy 1:8 NIV
“So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.” – 2 Timothy 1:8 NIV
Introduction
Storytelling is an ancient tool that has been used throughout the ages to convey messages that inform, inspire and encourage. In focus our text we find the origins of storytelling through the strategic use of testimony by the armies of heaven to overcome Satan and his angels. Then we see Apostle Paul encourage a young leader to not allow shame to suppress the power of his testimony. Our goal this week is to empower you with the wisdom to identify and leverage the power of your story to overcome the enemy, walk in victory and grow in the art of storytelling.
This Week's Devotionals
Day 1: What's Your Story?
What's your story? In order to become well-versed in the art of storytelling, you must first identify what your story is. Whether you realize it or not, you have a story. The fact that you're alive and reading this today says so! By God's grace, you have overcome something to get here and perhaps it's time that you talk about it.
You may be wondering, "Why is my story so important?" I'm glad you asked! The first thing we discover in our focus text is that, in addition to the work of Christ on the cross, the weakness of the enemy is the testimony of the believer (Revelation 12:11). Because the enemy is aware of the power of your story, he will either cause you to forget it or make you ashamed of it. This is why Apostle Paul urged Timothy to not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord (2 Timothy 1:8). Your story is not something to hide, but a tool to overcome the enemy and encourage another.
Spend time today meditating on your story. Perhaps write it down so that you can analyze the details, see how God working even when you didn't realize it. Become familiar so that you can tell it with humility, power and confidence.
You may be wondering, "Why is my story so important?" I'm glad you asked! The first thing we discover in our focus text is that, in addition to the work of Christ on the cross, the weakness of the enemy is the testimony of the believer (Revelation 12:11). Because the enemy is aware of the power of your story, he will either cause you to forget it or make you ashamed of it. This is why Apostle Paul urged Timothy to not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord (2 Timothy 1:8). Your story is not something to hide, but a tool to overcome the enemy and encourage another.
Spend time today meditating on your story. Perhaps write it down so that you can analyze the details, see how God working even when you didn't realize it. Become familiar so that you can tell it with humility, power and confidence.
Day 2: Authenticity
Over the next four days, we will look at four essential keys to storytelling. The first of the four is authenticity. To be authentic is to simply be who you were created to be. Authenticity is an absolute requirement when sharing our stories with others. We cannot effectively tell our story without authentically being who we are. Because our adversary, Satan, knows the power of our testimony, he often uses two tools to convince us to conform to the world. I call these tools the enemies of authenticity and they are shame and the fear of rejection.
According to Merriam-Webster, shame is a painful emotion caused consciousness of guilt, shortcoming or impropriety. Satan loves to make the believer feel guilty about what God did in love. Through shame he pushes us back into the mindset of sin we saw in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve hid from God due to being naked (Genesis 3:10). One could even say that they hid out of fear of rejection. This nakedness caused by sin required God to cover them with animal skin (Genesis 3:21). This this covering demonstrated the perpetual need of sacrifice in this world – no longer of animals, but of oneself (Romans 12:1-2).
Understanding the need for sacrifice, I want to share with you “The 3 Sacrifices of Authenticity”:
Remember, authenticity is essential to effectively telling your story. Therefore, walk in the sacrifice of honesty, focus and boldness and you will grow in the art of storytelling.
According to Merriam-Webster, shame is a painful emotion caused consciousness of guilt, shortcoming or impropriety. Satan loves to make the believer feel guilty about what God did in love. Through shame he pushes us back into the mindset of sin we saw in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve hid from God due to being naked (Genesis 3:10). One could even say that they hid out of fear of rejection. This nakedness caused by sin required God to cover them with animal skin (Genesis 3:21). This this covering demonstrated the perpetual need of sacrifice in this world – no longer of animals, but of oneself (Romans 12:1-2).
Understanding the need for sacrifice, I want to share with you “The 3 Sacrifices of Authenticity”:
- Honesty – Walk in the truth of who you are and what God did for you.
- Focus – We must be single-minded in the expression of our story, with the goal to glorify God and not satisfy man.
- Boldness – Boldness is required to be authentic. In a world where everyone is working so hard to be normal and accepted it leaves the world with a deficit of originality. Instead of being normal and accepted by most it’s better to be boldly authentic and risk the rejection of the world.
Remember, authenticity is essential to effectively telling your story. Therefore, walk in the sacrifice of honesty, focus and boldness and you will grow in the art of storytelling.
Day 3: Passion
In our focus text we have the account of John witnessing the power of the testimony. Then in the second scriptural selection, we see the Apostle Paul urging this young leader, Timothy, to not be ashamed of his testimony. Paul is at the end of his life and in His letter, he’s passing along the gems of wisdom to a young man that will carry the torch. As I meditate on this scripture, I consider the life of Paul and how he told his story. From the time he hunted Christians (before his encounter with Christ) to the time he began preaching Christ after his Damascus road experience, Paul kept the same energy. Before Christ, his passion was without knowledge but after encountering Christ, his passion was securely founded on knowing Christ.
The second essential key to the art of storytelling is passion. As you grow in the art of storytelling, I encourage you to tell your story with passion. It’s my prayer that the fire of passion will be reignited and would be fanned into flame as you share the goodness of our God.
The second essential key to the art of storytelling is passion. As you grow in the art of storytelling, I encourage you to tell your story with passion. It’s my prayer that the fire of passion will be reignited and would be fanned into flame as you share the goodness of our God.
Day 4: Glory
When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” – John 11:4 NIV
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. – Romans 8:18 NIV
The fourth essential key/element of storytelling is Glory. I would argue that this is the most important element of storytelling! When we share our testimony – tell our story, there should be glory. What’s is glory? I’m glad you asked! To effectively explain it, I want to show you two examples. The first is found in John 11:4 where Jesus has heard about Lazarus being sick and was asked to come. Jesus’s response was “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” The word glory used here means majesty, excellence, magnificence, preeminence and praise. Jesus was letting the disciples know that the sickness that Lazarus was experiencing was not for death but so that God’s preeminence would be demonstrated through the Jesus, revealing his magnificence.
The second example is found in Paul’s statement of faith to the believers in Rome: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18 NIV). In this verse, Paul describes a present trouble and lets us know that the trouble should not be our focus. Instead, we should be focusing on how God’s glory will be revealed through our suffering. It’s not about our trouble, it’s not about our sickness, it’s not about the relational struggle, it’s about God’s glory!
Therefore, when we tell our story, there should be glory. God should be glorified in our testimonies. Our stories should be a recount of what the Devil did, but a stage to put God’s glory on display! Don’t get caught giving attention to your troubles by saying “Why me?” or “Woe is me!” Shift your perspective by setting your affections on things above where Christ is sitting on the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1)! Your story is not about your trouble but about God’s glory! Tell the story and give God the glory!
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. – Romans 8:18 NIV
The fourth essential key/element of storytelling is Glory. I would argue that this is the most important element of storytelling! When we share our testimony – tell our story, there should be glory. What’s is glory? I’m glad you asked! To effectively explain it, I want to show you two examples. The first is found in John 11:4 where Jesus has heard about Lazarus being sick and was asked to come. Jesus’s response was “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” The word glory used here means majesty, excellence, magnificence, preeminence and praise. Jesus was letting the disciples know that the sickness that Lazarus was experiencing was not for death but so that God’s preeminence would be demonstrated through the Jesus, revealing his magnificence.
The second example is found in Paul’s statement of faith to the believers in Rome: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18 NIV). In this verse, Paul describes a present trouble and lets us know that the trouble should not be our focus. Instead, we should be focusing on how God’s glory will be revealed through our suffering. It’s not about our trouble, it’s not about our sickness, it’s not about the relational struggle, it’s about God’s glory!
Therefore, when we tell our story, there should be glory. God should be glorified in our testimonies. Our stories should be a recount of what the Devil did, but a stage to put God’s glory on display! Don’t get caught giving attention to your troubles by saying “Why me?” or “Woe is me!” Shift your perspective by setting your affections on things above where Christ is sitting on the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1)! Your story is not about your trouble but about God’s glory! Tell the story and give God the glory!
Day 5: Experience
One day Jesus was talking to His disciples about how to identify imitators, those who are disingenuous. He compared it to how we identify the species of a tree based on the fruit it yields. In the same way, we discover who people are not by their words but by their lives (Matthew 7:15-20). As a storyteller, your story should not be limited by words. Your testimony should go beyond words and be evident in the life you live.
When making a purchase I’ve learned to be cautious of people that do a whole lot of fast talking. Back when Chanell and I were purchasing our first home, we went to a lot of builders and walked through many model homes. But one builder stood out from the others in the most unpleasant way. Before we stepped foot inside of the home, he spent so much time talking to us about other things such as money details and how great their homes are. When we finally made it to the home, he had us walking around the outside as he pointed out details that come standard in every home in that area. However, I learned that the focus on the beauty of the outside of the home was a distraction from the massive let down on the inside. What he described to us in the office did not match our experience and we were greatly disappointed.
At other builders this was not the case. The realtors would greet you in the office and ask you what you’re looking for and walk you over to a model home and allow the home to sell itself. This is a lesson about how we share the stories of our lives. We shouldn’t have to sell our story to people. Instead, they should be able to experience what we’ve described and let our lives be the greatest evidence of what we’ve said. For instance, if we are testifying of how God has changed our hearts and delivered us from a bad attitude, this should be demonstrated through the overflow of God’s love, joy, peace, & patience. These are fruit of the Spirit and should be the expression of the tree (life) they grow from.
People shouldn’t have to be convinced by your words alone, but by the life you live. Don’t just let them hear your story, let them experience the fruit.
When making a purchase I’ve learned to be cautious of people that do a whole lot of fast talking. Back when Chanell and I were purchasing our first home, we went to a lot of builders and walked through many model homes. But one builder stood out from the others in the most unpleasant way. Before we stepped foot inside of the home, he spent so much time talking to us about other things such as money details and how great their homes are. When we finally made it to the home, he had us walking around the outside as he pointed out details that come standard in every home in that area. However, I learned that the focus on the beauty of the outside of the home was a distraction from the massive let down on the inside. What he described to us in the office did not match our experience and we were greatly disappointed.
At other builders this was not the case. The realtors would greet you in the office and ask you what you’re looking for and walk you over to a model home and allow the home to sell itself. This is a lesson about how we share the stories of our lives. We shouldn’t have to sell our story to people. Instead, they should be able to experience what we’ve described and let our lives be the greatest evidence of what we’ve said. For instance, if we are testifying of how God has changed our hearts and delivered us from a bad attitude, this should be demonstrated through the overflow of God’s love, joy, peace, & patience. These are fruit of the Spirit and should be the expression of the tree (life) they grow from.
People shouldn’t have to be convinced by your words alone, but by the life you live. Don’t just let them hear your story, let them experience the fruit.
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