The Makings of a Great Story

I love the story of Joseph. I think it's my favorite. There are many people who love this story. What makes it such a great story?

See if this lines up with your thoughts: I love how his brothers hate him. I think it's great that they plot to kill him. It's really cool how they decide to throw him in a pit. It's moving to read how his father's heart breaks at the report of Joseph's "death". Being sold to slavery must have been so cool! Getting to ride those camels...

That's not all! It gets better! He gets to go to prison for something he didn't do! He's put in chains. I love to read how he helps this guy who forgets about him for 2 years! Ah, what a story...

Are these the parts of this story that make it great to you? Of course, there are those other elements. There's the love of his father. He gets a great coat of many colors. He has awesome dreams of the future. He's put in charge of the household of Potiphar. Then, he's given charge of the jail! Ultimately, he's brought into the king's presence, and obtains the most powerful position in the kingdom.

Too often we forget that these are elements of the same story.

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of having dinner with Mark Bouman, a missionary from Cambodia. He has some stories. Someone he doesn't know gave him $100,000 to build a school for the government in his country. At another time, he was in a group of people who raised $250,000 for the mission field in 15 minutes. He told about how 2 major league baseball players each gave several hundred thousand dollars to his missions work.

Great story, right?

The missionary also told how he and his family stood on the street in front of his house as a jeep with a mounted machine gun came around the corner shooting everyone that was outside. His family got inside in time. He told of the raw sewage that surrounded the school. He told of fleeing the country with his family at night. he told of how his house was the only thing between two warring factions. He told of machine guns being pointed in his face as his family watched.

Guess what... Same story.

What's your story? There's a consistent pattern in the "great" stories. It's the pattern of God's faithfulness. What makes God's faithfulness so evident is the obedience of his people. The story of Joseph and the story of Mark Bouman (the missionary) are stories of men. They're just people like you and me. Their lives have effected untold thousands.

Whether I realize it or not, my life has all the makings of a great story. I have a key roll. No matter what circumstances are in front of me, all I have to do is obey what God commands. It may or may not involve prisons, camels or machine guns, but that doesn't make a difference. My Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is not contingent on comfort, ease, or convenience. It's a decision I make. I will give God my life. All of it. I will offer him the highest form of worship: my obedience.

Right there are all the makings of a great story!

Credit to Pastor Greg Lathe (the author) and my friend Charles Dayo Oluyori, who forward the story to me.God bless you sirs.