Your Story Matters

It’s tempting to believe that your story isn’t worth sharing.

You might think it’s too boring. Or that you’re “too (fill in the blank).” 

But these are lies from the enemy — attempts to keep you from sharing it.

Sure, it’s easy to have the perception that celebrities and Christians with huge platforms are the only ones who can make an impact for God’s kingdom, but the Bible shows that this is simply not true.

For every story about parting waves or raising someone from the dead, there are 10 more about God using someone or something seemingly insignificant to inspire others. 

Someone “Too Young”

Many of us can also get tricked into thinking we’re too young to make an impact. But God can use people of all ages, as evidenced in John 6 with the boy who gave his lunch (five small loaves of bread and two small fish) to feed five thousand. God could have rained down food from the sky or had a caravan of traders show up with free munchies, but he didn’t. He chose to use a small, young boy with a meager meal instead.

In fact, Jesus said the kingdom of heaven belongs to those with the mindset of a child (Matthew 19:14). Being young is not a bad thing. And it’s never too early to start pursuing your calling. 

Someone “Too Unimportant”

Knitting clothes may not seem like an earth-shattering act of significance. But that’s exactly what Tabitha (aka Dorcas) specialized in, according to Acts 9. She was known for her kindness and charity, so when she fell ill and died, her impact was evident with how her fellow believers responded to her death. 

“Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.” (Acts 9:39)

Peter prayed for her and she was raised from the dead, which is extraordinary. But she developed her reputation with the ordinary things she did by serving others every day. No matter how small acts of kindness seem at the time, they can make a big impact on other people in the long run.

Someone “Too Poor”

Two copper coins. That’s all this woman had to her name. She had barely anything to offer compared to rich people of the day. Yet Jesus noticed her in the temple as she put her two mites into the treasury. And her story is now forever etched in the history books. 

“Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:43-44)

You see, it’s not how much you have compared to others that determines your worth. It’s what you do with what you have that matters. Even if you aren’t wealthy, you can still inspire others with your generosity, whether it’s time, money or kindness.

Someone “Too Far Gone”

The woman at the well is fairly well-known (compared to others on this list, at least), but she didn’t seem very important at the time. Not only had she been divorced multiple times, as John 4:18 states, but she was Samaritan and therefore despised by the Jews. She seemed too far gone. That didn’t stop Jesus from giving her respect, kindness and wisdom, leading to many Samaritans becoming believers because of what the woman told them.

This goes to show that even if you’ve been rejected by others, even if it seems like your story is full of mistakes and even if others don’t see your worth, you are still valuable in God’s eyes. He doesn't call the qualified, as the saying goes — he qualifies the called.

“Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did.’” (John 4:39)

This article hasn’t even covered the disciples Jesus chose, either! Some of these men were fishermen, tax collectors and thieves — all looked down upon by society at the time. Yet they were part of the most important ministry this earth has ever seen.

No matter who you are or what your story involves, God can use it. Tell others about what you’ve been through and let him take it from there.