According to Donald Miller, a good story involves “a character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it” (A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, p.51). This got me thinking about a few stories.
What is God’s story? What does He want? What conflict has He overcome to get it?
In Mark 10:45 Jesus says, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Peter also talks about this ransom in 1 Peter 1:18-19, “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”
God’s story is His creation rebelled against Him and became enslaved in sin. God wanted to restore His people to Himself, so He chose to overcome every obstacle and pay the highest price, the life of His Son Jesus, so we could be right with God.
So then I was thinking, what is my story? What do I want? What conflict am I willing to overcome to get it?
The current chapter in my story involves wanting to follow Jesus to Thailand and train others to be involved in pioneering ministry around the world. I love Paul’s words in Colossians 1:28-29 where he says, “So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.” I am working very hard to overcome the obstacles that are keeping me from living out my story in Thailand, while depending on Christ’s power at work within me.
What is the story I am inviting EMBARK young leaders into? What do they want? What conflict will they overcome to get it?
Cliff Kuang of Co.Design writes about the millennial generation, currently ages 18-29, the exact age of EMBARK interns. He is writing about the struggle they are having finding employment and then highlights some potential blessings in this struggle. Cliff writes, “But maybe that's a good thing. It may be that millennials are a generation apart in one sense that hasn't shown up yet in the data: Plagued by dead-end career prospects, many seem to have turned to everything from crafts to self-improvement as a way to find meaning outside of what they do. A less materialistic, more happiness-focused generation seems like a very good thing given how obsessed America has been with simply getting more, no matter what. But it might also be that a lack of prospects makes this generation the most entrepreneurial we've ever seen--after all, innovation is usually born during times of hardship.”
This generation is struggling to find work. They are looking for meaning. This struggle is establishing some of them as creative pioneers. I want to invite the EMBARK young leaders into God’s story of ransoming the world. Their story can find meaning in God’s bigger story. There is the chance to invest their innovation to establish new strategies to reach every young person. This is the EMBARK story in my story in God’s story.
The main difference between our story and God's good story is that God is the Author of All. Have you ever noticed most story lines follow similar plots. Three characters, evil (or bad things), and overcoming, among other similarities All following the pattern God has allowed.
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