Movies, novels, TV dramas -- these popular forms of entertainment all tell stories. They have heroes and heroines, and various supporting characters. They have a plot that moves from the beginning through the middle to the end.
We often like to relate these stories to our own lives. We identify with certain characters because they are like us, or because we want to be like them. Perhaps we dream of escaping our ordinary lives and becoming a super-hero. On the other hand, some movies teach us important lessons that help us to live our own lives better.
All our lives form a story. Our story begins with our birth, as we set out on the road of life. As we continue on the journey, we have lots of different experiences, some pleasant and some unpleasant. We meet many people along the way, making friends and sometimes enemies. We encounter various obstacles, and struggle to overcome them. We taste victory and defeat. The road of life is a great adventure, bringing many joys and sorrows along the way.
But think about this: Who is it that writes the script for our life story? Who maps out the road of life we walk upon? It certainly isn’t we ourselves. We don’t determine the country we are born in, or the family we are a part of.
As we walk the road of life, most of the things that happen to us are beyond our control. Are these just random events, things that happen by chance? Or is the story of our lives written in a grand script somewhere?
Most people don’t think the road of life is just a random path through the wilderness. Many people consult horoscopes because they believe the events of their lives are influeced by the stars above. Many go to palm readers because they believe their life story is written in lines on their hand. These people are searching for the plot of their life story.
The Bible is a book full of stories. It contains some of the greatest adventure stories ever written. It has stories about shepherds and soldiers, priests and prophets, slaves and kings. But it also presents God as the one behind the scenes who directs the action, and weaves all the stories together according to his plan.
In many ways our lives are like a movie. We are given a role, and we have freedom to play that role however we choose. But our family, our place of birth, our gender, and the conditions of our lives are determined by God, who wrote the script.
God directs the action, and watches our performance. He brings blessings and hardships into our lives, giving us opportunities to display our character in the events of daily life. In the face of danger, do we show courage or cowardice? Do we treat those around us with kindness, cruelty or indifference? Are we generous and loving, or greedy and self-centered?
God does not simply sit in the director’s chair and observe the action. The Bible shows how God himself entered into the story. In Jesus Christ, God also took the role of a human being. He faced every hardship and struggle that we face, and experienced the depths of suffering and sorrow. And he showed us how to live with grace and love in the midst of it all.
But the life of Jesus is meant to be more than an example for us to follow. God knows that in our weakness and sin, we cannot live up to the standard of Jesus. We can admire him, but we don’t have the strength of character to imitate him.
That’s why God has a better plan. When we trust in Jesus, God connects our life to his. All of our faults and failures are taken away and put to death on the cross of Jesus. And God pours the Spirit of Jesus into our lives, so that Jesus himself is there to lead us and help us as we walk the road of life.
In the middle of a movie or novel, the characters don’t understand all that is happening. It is only at the end that conflicts are resolved, and the meaning of events becomes clear.
The same is true for us. We are all in the middle of a story, and we don’t know the meaning of everything that happens. But if we seek God’s plan for our lives and trust in him to guide us, we can walk the path of life with confidence, knowing that our destination is bright. And if we walk with Jesus, we will understand more and more about the plot of our lives, and find the courage and strength to play our role as he did.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Following him we find the truth about our own lives, and the way to live in grace and peace and love.
Comments