Let Your Story Be God’s Glory - The Crosswalk Devotional - August 15
Let Your Story Be God’s Glory
Michelle Lazurek
Bible Reading:
“Always be prepared to answer everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…” 1 Peter 3:15
In the year 2020, I battled anxiety. These experiences with anxiety turned into rounds of panic attacks I couldn’t control. After getting help from psychiatrists and being prescribed medication, I was officially diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. After the diagnosis, I was distraught. I felt as if I would never be able to function normally again. Not only this, but I felt like my writing career was over. Because I couldn't function normally due to those waves of panic attacks, I felt as if I would never write again. However, God, in His sovereignty and goodness, allowed me not only to write again but also to become very successful in my career.
As a guest on various podcasts, I always attest to God's goodness during this time in my life. Although many people understood my situation and either struggled with it themselves or had loved ones who struggled with mental disorders, there were a few who were not so understanding. They tried to leverage their knowledge of this disorder as an opportunity to get me out of ministry. Instead of focusing on the tremendous pain and trauma these people put me through, I chose to focus on the positive.
There are so many ways in which God has not only healed me emotionally from this disorder, but he has also allowed me to use it as a platform to normalize mental health. A Christian’s obligation is to be supportive and compassionate to sufferers of this disorder. Whenever people ask me how I can continue in my writing and ministry, I simply answer that God is good.
My ability to look on the positives and focus on God's goodness is a reminder that the above verse is crucial for us to live out in our lives. When life looks bleak, it is easy for unbelievers to look on the painful side of things. It's easier for them to become full of despair and hopeless that anything will ever work out.
However, they are looking to Christians for hope and understanding. They want to know that God is not only real but also sovereign and can turn even the most difficult situations around, providing hope and encouragement for us.
In this way, I believe I am giving people a reason for the hope I have. I have hope because I have God. I've seen him open doors and work so many wonderful things out in my life. Not only do I understand this, but I also feel that my blessings are from Him, knowing that I'm a completely different person than I was five years ago. That is all thanks to God's mercy and grace in my life.
Is there a situation in your life where you have hope, even though it wasn't something you thought you should have any? When you testify to God's goodness, what do you say? Do you choose to focus on the ways God has let you down or disappointed you? Do you choose to instead focus on the ways God has bestowed his grace and mercy on your life?
The way we testify to God's goodness is an example of our testimony. The more we focus on God's blessings and our ability to work despite our weaknesses, the more light is shed on God's character of using our weaknesses to turn negative situations into positive ones through his strength. People need to hear about God and who he is. There is no better way to do that than through our testimonies.
Think about the ways God has been good to you. Get a journal and write these things down. When we choose to focus on the positives and count our blessings, we will find that journal pages fill up quickly with all the ways God has been good. Take a couple of those and practice telling your testimony to others. Allow it to be a stepping stone to sharing the gospel with those who do not know him.
Father, let us be people who focus on how you have blessed us rather than on our losses or grief. Help us to use our stories as a testimony to who you are and your presence in our lives. Help us to give a reason for the hope we have, and help us to know that the reason we have hope is because of you. Amen.
Intersecting Faith & Life:
When was the last time you shared your story with someone? What did you say about God’s role in that story?
Further Reading:
Psalm 75:1
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/kieferpix
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