Your Story Is Not Over – Let Me Tell You Why
Your story is not over. This has been a phrase that’s been playing in my head over and over again within the last week and a half. And it has been evident to me that I need to write about this.
Maybe God has been revealing this to me to encourage at least one person that will read this post.
This is not your typical post where a couple of Bible verses here and there will hopefully inspire you for a moment or two, but then only to drift back into the state of hopelessness that your story is still over and dead.
This is a catastrophic crisis that has a tight grip on God’s people – even the ones that do not yet believe in Him. And no one is saying anything on this topic.
God has called all of us for a mission, to live out His purpose of loving Him and loving others around us. The mission is what beats in our hearts and why we have purpose as human beings in the world that we live in.
This mission is why David and I started The Simple Mission because we have a strong passion to see others…
+ REALIZE their identity and worth,
+ KNOW God’s purpose, and
+ DISCOVER their mission from God.
This is not something we just started just for the heck of it or we think we will get something out of it like money and fame.
This Crisis Affects All Ages
David and I have talked to so many people that have come to us with this or the topic comes up in the conversation.
Young people, like teenagers, young adults, in their 20s and 30s, and even older (wiser as we like to call it) people in their 40s and up, all do not necessarily know what they are doing with their lives. This can be in the case of graduating from high school, going to college, getting a job, getting married, having/raising a family, or becoming an empty-nester.
Every single person has stated that they feel like they have to reach a level that seems unreachable. As if their lives won’t really start until they have fully arrived to their “destination” in their head.
Like these examples…Until they become a better person. Until they stop doing things they know is wrong. Until they get their life together. Until they land their dream career. Until they get married. Until they have finally friends. Until they get rid of their friends leading them down wrong paths. Until they finally love themselves and stop hating themselves. Until they are fearless. Until they know what to do next.
Until their story is redeemed. What if God just wanted you to live your life, but here is the catch to live a life of purpose and mission…you live for Him. No matter how down and heavy you are, maybe you are at your lowest valley you have ever been in your life, your story is not over. And let me tell you why.
Here is a quote from Lisa Bevere that I shared on my Instagram last week.
This is a quote that really resonated and stuck with me ever since I read her book, Without Rival, which is a Christian book with wise Bible teaching geared towards all women. (Here is the link to the book if you are interested in reading Without Rival.)
“If you think you’ve blown God’s plan for your life, rest in this. You, my beautiful friend, are not that powerful.” — Lisa Bevere
You are not powerful enough to destroy the story that God has already written since before the beginning of time. He already chose you.
Did you read that??
God already chose you.
“Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,”
-Ephesians 1:4-5 ESV
God had already made a way even before we knew Him, before we chose Him, and before we believed in Him. Maybe we made it up in our own minds that we have to reach some type of level in order to fulfill our story, to live out our calling.
But, your story was not written by you. God wrote your story, and has been writing your story since before you were born.
He knows exactly what each day of your life entails. He knows exactly how we are wired, our personalities, what makes us tick, our heartbreaks, our angry words, our deepest sins, desires, and addictions, and our dark thoughts that we’ve told no one about…And yet, He still chose us.
I know I keep repeating the phrase, “He chose you.”, but it is crucial to living out your story. Your story is a representation of God’s love and grace for you, even when you do not think you deserve it. Read the next few verses slowly and deeply, word for word.
“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”
-Psalms 139:16 ESV
“O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.”
-Psalms 139:1-4 ESV
Your story is not over. Even when you think you’ve lost. Even when you are defeated or hit with a low blow. Even when you cannot see your way out. Your story is not over.
God wants us to live out our lives for Him, for that is the only way we can live a meaningful, purposeful, and intentional story of our lives.
When we turn away from all that we have done or what other people have done to you, we live in freedom. We live with overflowing joy. We live without fear of God forsaking us. He will never leave you even when everyone else does.
“…you’ve always kept the door open. My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in.”
-Psalms 27:10 MSG
“Everything is falling apart; threats and cheating are rampant in the streets. It is not an enemy who taunts me—I could bear that. It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me—I could have hidden from them.
Instead, it is you—my equal, my companion and close friend. What good fellowship we once enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God….But I will call on God,
and the Lord will rescue me.”
-Psalms 55:11-14, 16 NLT
Allow God to complete your story by taking control of writing the pages
When you place God as your number one companion, you can trust in Him that He will never leave you when you need Him. His love and mercy will be with you all the days of your life, and even throughout your story.
Your story is made known to you when you live for God. Your story, as a child of God, is to live out God’s love for you, learn more from Him, and to show and teach others of that love and how to live. That is your ultimate purpose & mission in life.
Your story is not over. It is only beginning. Take hold of this never-changing truth.
Thank you for reading,
Lianna Bond
Co-founder of The Simple Mission
