It’s been over seven years since I served on staff with Women Doing Well. Since then, God has continued to grow my passion to steward His resources. He has also, through a variety of challenges that in the past would have left me scurrying for cover, been calling me out of hiding. My two-word purpose statement, “stirring bravery,” has lit up the path before me as I follow God into places I have never gone before—and call others to do the same.
So let me speak to that part of you that prefers to play it cool, keep things on the downlow, and generally hide out on the fringes. Here are my questions for you: What if God is inviting you to stop dismissing the ugly or messy parts of your life story because you think they disqualify you from service to Him and others? What if they turned out to be the rocket fuel for fulfilling your calling?
Stewarding
But this will only happen as we begin to ask God to help us steward our stories with bravery and faithfulness. We can begin with what the Bible says about stewardship.
Jesus’s parable of the talents (found in Matthew 25:14-30) points us to a powerful truth: God generously gives resources and expects us to steward them with wisdom and intentionality. The definition of stewardship expresses the idea of supervising or taking care of something of value. We instantly think about the need to steward financial resources with wisdom, but stewardship extends to every part of our lives. As you think about stewarding your story, begin by considering these questions: What has God put in your hands? How can you invest these resources for others’ good and growth? How have you been known, seen, and heard by God? How can you pass these gifts on to others?
Your Story
As the “founder and publisher” of our stories (Hebrews 12:2), Jesus is creating a narrative in our lives that points to the even greater story arc of His redemption story.
No one else has lived what poet Mary Oliver called “your one wild and precious life.” To begin mining your story for its treasures, consider questions such as: What is unique about your life experiences? What extraordinary opportunities has God given you? What challenges has God allowed in your life that have deepened your understanding of others’ suffering or need? Where is the nexus between the personal growth you’ve experienced and the need in others’ lives?
Stewarding Your Story
As you discover the connection point between what you have experienced and the places where others need hope or encouragement, you’re on the path to stewarding your story as an offering of worship to God and a blessing to others.
Consider my friend Kathleen who lost her son to a drunk driver two years ago. Because of her deep roots in God’s promises, she has navigated grief better than most. A few months ago, Kathleen and her husband began writing a book that will guide grieving parents through the first year after losing a child. What a beautiful way of stewarding their brokenness—by comforting others with the comfort they’ve received!
Recently a pastor friend of mine told me the story of the most dangerous moment in his life. He and some friends decided to go sky-diving. When his chute didn’t deploy, this man found himself—literally—in freefall. His brain froze. At the last moment, he came to his senses and pulled the ring on his back-up chute, and his life was spared. This pastor now shares his story as a picture of Christ as our back-up chute—the only means of salvation from (spiritual) death—if we will trust Him.
And I’ll never forget sitting with a woman donor who was drawn powerfully to the cause of shutting down human trafficking. As I got to know her better and her story (which included childhood sexual abuse) unfolded, we discovered her heart had become a powerful expression of God’s compassion and justice for others. Giving from a deep sense of purpose, she invested significantly in seeing others helped and healed where she herself had been wounded.
Don’t underestimate the power of your story. Revelation 12:11 says we conquer the enemy “…by the word of (our) testimony….” Will you begin to trust that the path you have walked is full of treasure that can enrich many? Your story is God’s gift to you; how you steward it is your gift to Him and others.
Read more of Lynne’s work in her first book, Sacred Refuge: Finding Unexpected Shelter in Your Crisis.
