Your Story is Important

 

     Have you taken the time to consider the relevance of your personal story?  As I read Paul’s testimony in Acts 22, I marveled at the clarity in which Paul shared his story with others.  Paul had the gift of examining his life and recognizing the need to use the account of his life when sharing the gospel message.  Just like Paul, we all have a story.

     Let’s start with verse 3, where Paul’s testimony begins.  Paul begins by expressing the things he is proud of, his heritage, his hometown, his education, his faith, and his passion.  Like Paul, we all have attributes and achievements in our life we don’t mind exposing.

     Dropping down a few verses, we see in verses 4-5, Paul digs a little deeper.  He begins to share things that make him feel just a bit vulnerable.  These are actions or attitudes that he no longer supports.  Paul knows that his story is a dichotomy of both good and bad things.  While some of Paul’s previous actions were publicly displayed, the motivation behind more privately held, possibly concealed.  Nevertheless, not everyone in his audience is aware of Paul’s story.  Paul’s decision to show transparency is an act of humility.  He decides to share the dark moments where his actions harmed others.  Paul reveals the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.

     Next, Paul unwraps his encounter with Jesus.  Paul tells the audience not only where this happened but also how it happened.  Paul, accompanied by other men on their persecution mission, had a direct encounter with Jesus Christ.  Although others were present, they were denied the opportunity to hear the exclusive conversation between Jesus and Paul.  In verse 10, we see that Paul had no choice but to submit to the Will of God.  He asked Jesus, “what shall I do?”  Paul received partial instructions with an element of uncertainty of what would happen after he obeyed.  How difficult is it to wait for a full revelation?   It is like sending a kid to their room to think about their behavior.  Paul needed time for introspection.  I remember many opportunities as a child to sit and wait until my father got home.  It’s like sitting in a torture chamber recognizing that you’ve not yet received the consequences of your bad behavior.  Silent contemplation is a good teacher.

     Paul’s testimony reveals to us that his encounter with Jesus caused him to rely on others to get from where he was to where Jesus told him to go.  Paul’s testimony tells us nothing about the conversations taking place on the last leg of his journey.  Can you imagine shock, confusion, and anxiety mixed with a little awe?  It might be worth noting that Paul’s emotional response was not necessary to understand his story.  He allowed the listener to draw their own conclusions.  How often do we desire to inform others how we feel about our experiences?  Paul relied upon the Holy Spirit to use his story for God’s glory.  It was not a tale to place focus on himself but upon the gospel message.

     Paul’s testimony included the name of a well-respected man who God used to reveal His message.  The fact that Ananias was devout according to the law may have been more relevant to the Jewish listener than we realize.  To a Hebrew, being a law-abiding citizen was to display godliness.  Isn’t this the same today as society holds being a ‘good person’ as the path that leads to heaven?  Goodness is the measure that humanity uses to be worthy of God’s favor.

      Paul’s audience was probably unaware that Paul was using his story as an act of obedience.  Can we also recognize that sharing our testimony with others demonstrates the same obedience?   How casual are we when we carry on conversations with others?  Do we stop to think about how many pointless dialogues we engage?   Without any clear motivations, we tell other people about our lives.  We focus on the horizontal impact of our conversations while forgetting that we’re called to a vertical purpose.  We care more about leaving a favorable impression than leaving a lasting impact.

     Paul’s encounter with God, through the messenger, Ananias, gave him a vision for his life’s work. When Paul recovered his sight, it was not for the sake of observing the material world.  His spiritual eyes were also open, exposing him to the invisible things of God.  Paul’s enlightened vision allowed him to view familiar Old Testament prophecies in a new way.  When he moved from darkness into the light, Paul recognized Jesus as the Son of God with startling clarity.

     Baptism immediately followed Paul’s conversion.  Baptism recognized that Paul had moved from death to life in Christ.  Five years separated my salvation from my baptism because I had not yet reached the age of accountability (12 years of age) within the church of my youth.  Little did I realize that maturing in the flesh and growing in Christ had little correlation for me.  It has taken me a long time to allow Christ to live in me rather than with me.  (I think I may have heard an Amen.)

     The years between Paul’s conversion and his ministry were numerous.  Paul’s very life was in danger.  His calling was for the future.  In verse 15, we read, ‘for you will be a witness for him.’  It was not yet Paul’s appointed time.  Paul would need to respond to this call according to God’s Plan.   ‘The Righteous One’ (Jesus) would instruct Paul in ‘the Way’ (the Truth, and the Life).  On our own, our testimonies remain shallow and self-serving.  In the power of the Holy Spirit, we become honorable vessels for God’s glory.

     Paul’s testimony revealed that he felt unworthy of the LORD’s assignment.  His testimony included a confession as such.  Paul knew that even in his strict adherence to the Law, as was customary for a Pharasecutical lifestyle, worthiness is not measured in man’s accomplishments.  Paul’s confession included both action and attitude as he participated in Stephen’s death.  Paul owned his sin and proclaimed it.  Paul tells us that Jesus was well aware of his past, which did not disqualify him from God’s mission.  Grace covers our sin, making the inclusion of sin in our testimony all the more relevant.

     Let’s look at the organization and constructs of Paul’s testimony as a template to build our own.

1.     Our testimonies can include our accomplishments.

2.     Our testimonies should include our failings.

3.     Our testimony should include our encounter with Jesus.

4.     Our conversations should focus on vertical purpose, not horizontal needs.

5.     When we confess our sins to one another, bring clarity to both action and attitudes facilitated by human nature. 

6.     Recognize that our hidden stories can be used as tools of restoration.  (They’re far less desirable and ineffective when used for our own shame and guilt.)

7.     Unveiling our past should focus on God’s glory,

8.     Any hidden story that we withhold from the Holy Spirit’s power is useless.

     I believe there is enough evidence that Paul’s testimony was not an impromptu speech given without forethought of what to include and exclude.  It was tightly constructed and built with confidence.  I’m sure that Paul must have rehearsed his testimony, if not in a mirror, then with a trusted friend.  Paul’s testament was not for the benefit of self; it was for the benefit of his listener.

     Maybe you are like me, accepting Christ as your Savior at a very young age.  Perhaps you, too, were brought up in a Christian home.  Maybe you’ve developed a good reputation for a God-honoring Christian.  Could it be that you’ve made an oath to yourself to leave some minor details about your past a secret?  Might those hidden elements of our stories, the embarrassing ones, the ones that are difficult to express with transparency, be the exact stories that would bring God the most glory?  What if our hidden stories would bear the most fruit?  What if sharing our stories changed the course for someone’s eternal destination?  Can we recognize where our discomfort is the truest testament of our faith and transformation?

     I want to encourage you to read Acts 22, not as a story but as a lesson.  Prayerfully consider who to share your most honest story with, someone who will encourage you and help you decide the most relevant details.  As much as we want our walk with Christ to be impactful, we don’t need to shout our message from the mountain tops, but we must trust the Holy Spirit to empower our message.  God knows whose ears need to hear our story.  We don’t share to come clean; we’ve already been washed with the blood of Jesus.  If we cannot fully trust God with our stories, who can we trust?