The purpose driven life

Sharing Your Life Message

Your lives are echoing the Master's word. The news of your faith in God is out. We don't even have to say anything anymore- You're the message -Thessalonians 1:8 (Msg)

God has given you a Life Message to share. hen you became a believer, you also became God's messenger. God wants to speak to the world through you. Paul said, "We speak the truth before God, as messengers of God."

You may feel you don't have anything to share, but that's the Devil trying to keep you silent. You have a storehouse of experiences that God wants to us to bring others into his family. The Bible says, " Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony of God in them." Your life message has four parts in it:
•Your testimony: the story of how you began a relationship with Jesus.
•Your life lessons: the most important lessons God has taught you.
•Your godly passions: the issues God
shaped you to care about most.
•The Good News: the message of salvation.

Your life Message includes your testimony. Your testimony is the story of how Christ has made a differenve in your life. Peter tells us that we were chosen by God "to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you." This is the essence o witnessing-simple sharing your personal experiences regarding the Lord. In a courtroom, a witness isn't expected to argue the case, prove the truth, or press for a verdict; that is the job of attorneys. Witnesses simply report what happened to them or what they saw. Sharing your tesimony is an essential part of your mission on earth because its unique. There is no other story just like yours, so only you can share it. You may not be a Bible Scholar, but you are the authority on your life, and its hard to argue with personal experience. Actually, your personal testimony is more effective than a sermon, because unbelievers see pastors as professional salesman, but see you as a "satisfied customer," so they give you more credibility.

Another value of your testimony is that it bypasses intellectual defenses. Many people who wont accept the authority of the Bible will listen to a humble, personal story. The Bible says," Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you, but do it with gentleness and respect." You have a story for every experience in which God has helped you. You should make a list of all the problems, circumstances, and crises that God has brought you through. Then be sensitive and use the story that your unbelieving friend will relate to best. Different situations call for different testimonies.
Your Life Message includes your life lessons. The second part of your life message is the truths that God has taught you from experiences with him. These are lessons and insights you have learned about God, relationships, problems, temptations, and other aspects of life.

Shared stories build a relationalbridge that Jesus can walk across from your heart to others.We should be grateful Solomon did this, because it gave us the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, which are filled with practical lessons on living. Imagine how much needless frustration could be avoided if we learned from each other's life lessons.

Your Life Message includes sharing your godly passions. God is a passionate God. He passionately loves some things and passionately hates other things. As you grow closer to him, he will give you a passion for something he cares about deeply so you can be a spokesman for him in the world. It may be a passion about a problem, a purpose, a principle, or a group of people. Whatever it is, you will feel compelled to speak up about it and do what you can to make a difference.