Living In A Better Story

We're all up to something all the time. We live planned lives that revolve around the story we're writing, one affectionately known as The Story of Me. And when things mess with the narrative, we don't like it. But there's a problem that has become common for many of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus: we've forgotten whose story we're in.

The Bible opens with the words, "In the beginning, God…." The story God is writing doesn't begin with you and me. We'd like it if it did because then we'd be the main characters, large and in charge. But it doesn’t. It’s HIS story.

The first thing God does is build a beautiful stage for His story: land, water, heavenly bodies, light, darkness, plant, and animal life. Then, when everything is just as He wants it, He adds His masterpiece: people. Living souls created in His image. All is good.

But it doesn't take long for His masterpiece to grab the pen and declare, "Mine! Mine! This is going to be MY story with MY rules and ME as the main character. Maybe I’ll give God a bit part, but make no mistake. It's The Story of Me, large and in charge."

What do you think happens when you have billions of people writing their own story with themselves as the main character? Chaos. Everyone wants to control the game board, and when something or someone gets in the way, it fuels anger, frustration, exhaustion, broken relationships, and pain.

This broke the heart of God, so He introduced a new storyline to the narrative: redemption. The Bible is the unfolding story of His redemptive plan to draw people back into a relationship with Him so they can experience the better story He designed for them long ago.

This is what the cross is all about: Jesus paying the awful price of death for our sin so we could be restored to our place in His story. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT) says it all:

God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us new in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

I'm God's masterpiece. You're God's masterpiece. My little dog is adorable and a good companion, but he's not His masterpiece. That title is reserved for you and me alone. When we step into a relationship with God through the cross of Jesus, something incredible happens:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they're a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

God doesn't make us new creations so we can continue our own little insignificant stories, but so we can join Him in the part He's had for us in HIS story from the very beginning. It's a story that looks and feels different because it flows from HIs heart for the redemption and restoration of the people He loves.

Being NEW is not just about having a better future, but about living in the better Story of God TODAY.