Stories are powerful. There is something about a good story that we connect with and relate to…especially someone else’s story. Nothing brings more clarity than someone else’s story. We see things in their story that we often times miss in our own. I think a big reason is we’re so focused on defending our story that we don’t take the time to learn and grow from it.
Jesus told parables, I think for this very reason. He knew the impact of these stories would be further reaching than if he would just come out and point to the issues directly. With a good story, we wait to draw conclusions until the end. We listen objectively and openly, and we don’t block off the weight or impact of the story with defense and pretense.
God sent David a story through the Prophet Nathan in 2 Samuel 12:1-14. David sinned before God by having an affair with Bathsheba and then covering it up by having her husband killed. His heart was hard, and he couldn’t feel the full weight of his sin in his own story. It wasn’t until he heard someone else’s story that he was able to feel the weight and impact of his own story.
Listen to other people’s stories and ask God to reveal the truth that you might be missing in your own. There is always more to the story!
