As a believer, I’ve been frustrated by the fact that I didn’t invest in my relationship with God nearly to the extent that I invested in other things (for example, sports, work, and my image). Looking at my life, I noticed a period of time where everything I did was designed to support one particular thing—football. It bothered me that my faith, which is obviously more important than football, was always taking a back seat to something else.
I wanted to live a life centered on God, but the reality was that I didn’t know what that meant, and I didn’t know anyone else really doing that (and I spent a lot of time at church). Should I serve more at church? Should I give more? Should I tell my family and neighbors about God? These were the best ideas I had.
I didn’t know it, but the problem was that I did not know how to live differently. I was stuck living a certain story or pattern. I didn’t know it was possible for me to live a different story. Story-Formed Life is the vehicle that allowed me to see a different pattern and make the choice to change how I was living.
The reality I encountered is that I’m a character in God’s crazy-big Story. I’m not sure how I missed it. I have read the Bible cover-to-cover. I have sat through thousands of church services. I spent time in small groups, peer relationships, and intentional Bible studies, but none of them exposed me to the big-picture Story that God has been orchestrating since Adam and Eve. I was shocked to see how the entire Bible, cover-to-cover, tells the same Story.
Once I understood the bigger picture, things started changing all over the place. I suddenly understood how to lead my family. My family now has purpose. My kids know God and are consistently growing. My wife knows God intimately. I’m connecting with Him more than I ever have. God changed me in radical ways through Story-formed Life. The short investment of time is nothing compared to the radical life transformation I’ve experienced from understanding the Story and my role in it.
