A few years ago, I sat to an exposition of the genealogy of Jesus recorded in Luke 3:21-38. Well, history can be boring but I found this one fascinating.
I am fascinated by how God webs His story into the lines of history.
I gleaned many truths but I will only develop three that got me thinking the most.
God’s sovereignty
Firstly, God is sovereign.
He can use you despite you.
The speaker helped us to appreciate that the individuals mentioned in the genealogy were not super-human but ordinary people like us. They had frailties like we do, and in fact, some of them goofed royally.
Amazingly, God still used them to tell His story.
We tend to assume that we must be perfect for God to use us. This genealogy proves that assumption wrong.
Just as God used fickle men in the past, He can and is using you to tell His story.
You, yes, the frail you. He is working in, through, and beyond you to work out something very beautiful.
God is telling His story through your life. Even your goofs tell His story.
Therefore, don’t allow that evangelist of evil -the devil- to guilt trip into forfeiting your call or giving up on the walk of faith.
He is not ashamed of your filthy sins. God is not.
He took care of all your sins on the cross. So, whenever you sin, repent quickly, return to God, and go ahead to sin no more.
That will free you up to zealously write the next chapters of His story.
Surrounded by a cloud of witnesses
Secondly, most if not all the individuals mentioned in genealogy never knew they would feature in the Bible.
They simply lived their lives like everyone else in their time but unbeknown to them, every move of their lives was being marked in eternity for the Bible.
Yet most lived such excellent lives that they challenge us when we read the Bible.
Saint, your life is being watched closely and recorded for posterity. Another Bible may never be written for your story to feature, but it’s being etched in the minds of witnesses all around you.
This is the thing though. You never know who is looking and what part of your life’s story God will use where.
You better put your best foot forward every day.
Write an excellent story through your life so that if you get a chance to look back into history from this side of eternity or the next, you won’t be ashamed of whatever part of your story God picks for His story.
Let this sink.
You might be the only Bible someone will read today. As a living Bible, present the pages of the Book accurately.
In my final days of high school, one of the junior members of the Christian Union told me that he had been looking up to me. This was news to me. I was flattered before it hit me hard.
Had I set the best example for him?
For a second, my life through high school flashed before me. I wished that he told me earlier. Looking back, perhaps I could have adjusted a few things to be a better role model.
Don’t be caught unaware like I was.
The Bible tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 11:1). Believe it and act accordingly.
Many people are looking at the outcome of your life right now.
If you drop the ball, you just don’t let God down, you will also let down the people who were looking up to you.
Serve your purpose
Thirdly, you have a special place in God’s story.
God Has made you just how you are to play a specific role in His story. He equipped you with specific gifts and abilities for the given assignment.
Your contribution to God’s kingdom and the world in general is finding out that assignment and doing it to the best of your ability even as God helps you.
That’s what we commonly refer to as living out your purpose.
Before you die, ensure you have fully served God’s purpose in your generation (Acts 13:36).
Warning!
Don’t try being somebody else. You need to be fully you to fulfill your God-assigned purpose.
We have different paths in life and God Has assigned us different roles in His story. If you copy someone or try to be them, you veer off your lane and enter into their lane.
That’s a recipe for conflict and pointless collisions.
Many wrangles in church and ministry are a result of believers going out of their lanes and brushing against others in their lanes.
You need to remain authentic to who God made you to serve your purpose here on earth.
Stick to the Master’s script for your life. Be content in your skin. Other lanes are out of bounds.
God’s pen
You are God’s pen.
Cooperate with Him for your life to write a beautiful story through the pages of history.
You have the opportunity to fine-tune your steps to Father’s heart. Live for God actively knowing you are not just living for yourself.
Witnesses in your generation are looking at your life and many who will come later will hear or read your story.
Record a good story. While you still have the chance, include positive things by living right and doing exploits for the kingdom while eliminating pages of goofs and sins.
Go down in history as one who lived for God and accurately captured His story for when all is said and done, history is actually His story.
This is humbling, encouraging and a challenge as well.
Help me Lord.
I love how you bring out the point so well. If this is your purpose my friend, then you are serving it perfectly.
Your articles have been a real blessing to me. I share a number of them with my teens (though i simplify them further to their level), and these materials have been of great help.
Thank you Ken.
God bless you as you write His story.
Amen! Thank you for finding value in these pieces to read and share with others. For sure, let’s continue writing His story. God bless you too!