Who’s Writing Your Story?

In Acts 3, Peter and John encounter a man who is lame. Peter heals the man, and the people who see the man running and jumping are astounded. But Peter says to them,

You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has completely healed him, as you can all see. — Acts 3:15–16

Peter calls Jesus the “author of life.” In Hebrews 12:2 we also find that Jesus is called the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. This means that He not only authors our journey of faith but also completes it. He is writing our life’s story from beginning to end. So, why is it that we so often doubt God’s ability to write our stories? Why is it that we often find ourselves trying to “help Him out” as if what He desires to write isn’t interesting enough, isn’t fancy enough, isn’t... well... enough?

• Most of the challenges of our faith and our relationship with God can be traced back to the battle of faith that began in the garden.

The Author had written the story, the ultimate love story. He had let Adam and Eve know that for their story to work in the perfect way He had planned and written, for them to enjoy this intimate relationship of evening walks and authentic conversation, something had to be written out of it: a tree. Just one tree. They could have everything else around them. Nothing was off limits for them but that one thing.

And in came that lie from the serpent that penetrated their hearts:

For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. — Genesis 3:5

Lies like this always target our hearts, trying to lure them into believing something about God that is not true.

And this lie that changes the entire course of how the story was to be written targets Adam’s and Eve’s hearts to believe that God hadn’t written their story well enough, that He was holding out on them in some way. They sadly would believe it, take the pen in their own hand, and write the story they wanted to be written themselves. And as they did, the story changed forever.

Immediately their eyes were opened to life in a way God had never intended.

Adam and Eve would now encounter a world and a story He had not planned on them having to endure. And their shame was great. The open, alive, intimate, loving relationship they had with God was now severed by their sin. All because they didn’t like the way God desired to write their story.

This isn’t any different from how Satan targets us. He loves to attack us with lies to penetrate our hearts about how God desires to write our stories. He accuses God of holding out on us. He accuses God of not making us good enough, talented enough, pretty enough, desirable enough. And then he dangles the pen in front of us and says, “Why don’t you give it a try? Why don’t you write your own story?” And often we take the pen and try to create the person we want others to think we are.

Our stories have such brokenness in them. The brokenness of our past. The trauma of our childhood. Who wouldn’t want to whitewash the sordid details and create a completely different story for others to read? But when we try to write our own stories instead of trusting the ultimate Author, we will find ourselves trapped in hearts of performance, having no idea who the real us is. Authenticity goes out the window and in come the costumes we use for our charade. And the ultimate tragedy is that all this moves our hearts farther and farther from that intimate, cool-of-the-day love relationship with our Father.

God has made you enough. He has authored you well even in the chapters of your pain. And He is in your story if you can trust Him with it. Let go of your desire to write it for yourself.

Guard your heart from believing any lie about your Father.

And remember why the Enemy wants you to think your story is not enough: because your story and the blood of the Lamb are the two things that defeat him!

They triumphed over [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. — Revelation 12:11

Our testimony is the story God has written on our hearts. And look at its power! Oh that we may never underestimate again the power of our God-authored story.

PRAY

That you will be able to recognize lies from the Enemy and guard your heart from them.

That you will find at least one safe person with whom you can share your whole story.

REFLECT

What pieces of your story have you felt God got wrong and have been tempted to rewrite?

Some days the enemy feels so strong, but I know You are stronger. And, I know You are writing my story for good. Help me to trust You today.

~ Denise Hildreth Jones

Excerpted with permission from Prayers to Help You Thrive by contributors: Christine Caine, Chike Chukudebelu, Katie Hardeman, Margaret Hogan, Denise Hildreth Jones, Shauna Niequist, Tsh Oxenreider, Rachel Randolph, Alece Ronzino, and Ruth Soukup. Copyright Zondervan.

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Your Turn

There are parts of my story I’d like to erase or change. There are parts that feel like “went wrong”. Is that true for you, too? Any time I’ve followed the temptation to try to change what God is doing or allowing, though, Wow… I’ve made big messes. It’s never worth it. Let’s trust God implicitly even in areas that feel painful. He’s got good planned even when we can’t see it! ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full