My grandson Camden came back from a mission trip to Canada on Saturday. He savored Toronto’s sights, sounds, and flavors and learned about the diverse religions in such a multicultural city. Experiences like these provide a perspective that’s difficult to achieve without visiting firsthand. Soon, he will travel to another country with a completely different culture and belief system.
Hearing about his adventures makes me smile, but learning how he was taught to share the gospel so simply inspires me to follow suit. His method didn’t start with a polished speech. Neither did it begin with a checklist of detailed steps or a carefully curated list of Scriptures. Instead, it began with casual conversations with other college students. It was about the natural exchange of stories, ideas, beliefs, and fun. It focused on building connections and finding common ground. Listening to him reminded me that good stories and powerful testimonies translate across even the most diverse cultures, and that our stories, in the context of God’s story, make for a story worth telling!
Talking about good translations, I checked my shelves today and found eight versions of God’s story. I can’t pick just one favorite because each provides a different perspective. For deep study, I reach for the ESV (English Standard Version). My everyday Bible is the NLT (New Living Translation). For comparison, I also use the NIV (New International Version), CSB (Christian Standard Bible), and NAS (New American Standard). I also have J.B. Phillips and The Message. When I need a quick reminder of who I am in Jesus, I reach for The Passion Translation (TPT). (If I HAD to pick a favorite, it might be The Passion Translation.)
Reading God’s story through various translations helps us notice small details within the bigger picture. The better we understand the story, the easier it is to share it in everyday conversations. Hearing Camden’s story has deeply convicted me. This old teacher-girl knows the story; she just needs to tell it more often!
Camden is learning to weave his testimonies of God’s goodness into casual conversations that inspire others to learn more about Jesus. I believe that’s how Paul did it. He lived and worked among a group of people, weaving his story and Jesus’ words into everyday conversations.
When we read what Paul wrote to the Romans in The Message, we have no excuse for not breathing out words of life. See what you think:
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.” (Romans 12:1 The Message)
You don’t have to be famous or a missionary in a foreign land to share your stories. You can share them in your quiet, anonymous life. That’s what Peter and John did. After healing a man, giving all the credit to God, and telling onlookers about Jesus, they were brought before the council of religious leaders in Jerusalem. Acts 4 tells us, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men; they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13 ESV)
We are all ordinary people who can only do what we can do. But with the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do more than we can ask or imagine! (Ephesians 3:20) When God works through us, we have a story to tell – HIS story!
Lord, help our lives translate well for Your glory. Help us to quickly recognize and embrace what You do for us so we can be someone else’s inspiration. “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 115:1 NLT)
