Questions You Have Asked: Why Would Anyone Want to Hear My Story?

I’ve heard I should tell my story of knowing Jesus to others…but why would anyone want to hear my story?

Just look at the writers of the four Gospels in the New Testament.  Each one told his story because he knew his story would help change lives.  Not everyone wanted to hear their stories, and not everyone believed their stories.  But they just kept working on it and writing it down because they was convinced  many other people needed to know the facts of what they had learned about Jesus.

The same is true for you.  You may not have a riveting story, but that’s ok.  People don’t’ need to hear your story.   The story they need to hear is His story.

Talk about yourself in order to get the ball rolling, but tell the story of Jesus.

Here are 6 questions you can use to get your story organized and put into words.  Think of being interviewed, and someone is asking you each of these 6 questions.  Write out what your answer would be.  In your own words.  Just be honest and just be you.

1. Where are you spiritually right now?
2. When did you first start learning things about Jesus?
3. Where did you learn those things?
4. What are some of the things you have learned?
5. As you learned about Him, how did this affect you – your feelings, attitudes, actions, and relationships?
6. In this process of learning about Him, have you ever wanted Jesus to be more real to you…Have you ever wanted to just give your life to Him and let Him be the center of your life? (If you have, make this a part of your orderly account)

Here are the answers I gave to these questions:

1. Where are you spiritually right now?

“At 66, I’m a little overwhelmed at the idea that I have been a believer in Jesus for just about 50 years.  How could it have been that long?   I know He’s with me all the time –  and that He’s been taking care of me for my whole life.  I would like to know Him better and better as I walk into my last 20 or so years, and I’m really anxious to finally see Him when I die.”

2. When did you first start learning things about Jesus?
3. Where did you learn those things?
4. What are some of the things you have learned?

“Our family attended first the Catholic church, and then the Presbyterian church when I was a little girl, and then into my teens.  The name of Jesus was familiar to me, and of course I believed that God existed.  But that was about it – I knew a few facts.”

5. As you learned about Him, how did this affect you – your feelings, attitudes, actions, and relationships?

“But at 17 I finally began to know more than facts.  I actually felt like He was communicating with me through the preaching at church and through what I read in the Bible.  My few facts suddenly were not enough – I wanted to know more about Him.  At that time I remember thanking Him for dying for me, and asking Him if He wanted my life.  I told Him I knew it probably wasn’t worth much, but I would love to serve Him.”

6. In this process of learning about Him, have you ever wanted Jesus to be more real to you…Have you ever wanted to just give your life to Him and let Him be the center of your life? (If you have, make this a part of your orderly account)

“In Tucson, Arizona, 1965, in a church service, sitting in the audience, I gave my life to Jesus when I realized He had given His life for me. That’s when I became a Christian.  Before that I would have told you I was a Christian because I went to church, but I wasn’t. ”

Over the years, as I’ve read my Bible, I’ve learned much more of His life and death and resurrection, and I’ve learned that He lives in me because I believed in Him.  I’ve learned that He loves faith most of all, and that He has a whole bunch of people in the world whom He loves but they haven’t had faith in Him yet.  He yearns for them to hear of Him and have faith in Him.  So, because that’s what He wants so much, it’s what I want, too.