Do you have a glory story?

 

As I was reading a book by one of my favourite authors recently, I came across a phrase that keeps coming to my mind over and over. Glory story.

Not really self-explanatory and a little confusing, that is, until you realise what it’s all about.

For those of you who read my blog regularly, firstly, thank you. I am so blessed that God chooses to use me to be a source of encouragement to others. Secondly, you’ll know, through what I’ve shared, that six years ago, I was a different person than I am today.

For 6 months I fought an internal battle. An unexplained battle with depression, anxiety and panic attacks that literally took my breath away, threatening to take me out completely. It had made itself at home and nothing I could do seemed to shake it. Everything I tried failed.

But while I was being pounded by waves of fear, while I struggled through days where I didn’t want to get out of bed, while I neglected friendships and often tried to put on a brave face hoping others wouldn’t notice, God was working. God was weaving threads of strength through my pain.

God was writing my glory story.

I began to feel as Job did when he said this.

Job 42:5 KJV - I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

Through my trial, I began to really see God. To learn of his ways. To understand the depth of his character and I began to get a greater sense of awe for his power and might. I began to really get to know God.

And as I gained strength day by day, I began to beg God, “Don’t let it be for nothing, God. Use me. Redeem it. And turn my trial into a glory story. Use my glory story to benefit someone else.”

Just as the underside of a tapestry is all knots and imperfections, so that the top can be intricately beautiful to behold, I realised God was, in his love, weaving some hard lessons through troubles so that I could become something more lovely. Something that showed the glory of God.

I determined that when, and not if, when I got through it, I would give him the glory. Not the medication, not the worship songs, not the counsel of friends, although they were a great comfort to my soul, but God. God would get the glory.

He was writing my glory story, and I wanted to make sure I shared it.

I began to realise that perhaps God was writing a glory story in my life for someone else’s benefit. And he had chosen me to go through the pain in order that someone else would be blessed, helped and encouraged by the experience and the lessons I had learned in my time of trial.

Even tonight, as I sit here writing this, tears come to my eyes as I marvel at God’s goodness to me. I cry tears of joy and happiness. I am so overwhelmed by the love of God and the fact that he chose me to not only go through something painful so that I could be a comfort to others, but also that he chose to do a purifying work in my heart and life, to make me more like him.

At the time it felt like a cruel cross that I had to bear. But God used it to purify me and help draw me closer to him. He developed in me a love for him and his Word. He gave me a hunger and thirst for the Words of Scripture and a desire to study and grow in my relationship with him.

He helped me to see the needs of others with a heart of compassion. He began to stir my heart to be sensitive to those around me and reach out and love others that needed a friend. He brought a peace to my heart that I had never known and a peace that could be a testimony to others of God’s goodness.

Are you struggling through something today? Are you inundated with trials, and you feel like they will never end? Could it be that God has plans to use you to help someone else?

As I get older, I am finding more and more that the pain in my life and the struggles I’ve been through have made me more effective in ministering to others.

When I speak of trusting God fully, it sounds trite, until I share some of the ways I have had to trust him in the shake ups in my life.

When I speak of God’s joy, it doesn’t sound convincing until I share some of the depths I’ve been to, and the lengths God has gone to pull me up and put a smile on my face because of who he is.

When I speak of a peace that passes understanding, people don’t relate until I share my pain of depression and how God brought peace to my soul through his Word.

The more I experience suffering, the more access I seem to have to others in need. The more I am able to empathize, come alongside and say, “I know how you feel. I’ve been there. And I can tell you how to get back up.”

God has used trials and troubles to mold me in ways that nothing else could.

I would be doing you an injustice if I didn’t share this passage of scripture right here.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 KJV - Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

When I was going through my darkest time, I had to accept God’s comfort. I had to let him work in my life, ministering to me so that I could then minister to others and pass that comfort on to someone else. Then, and only then, could God get his glory story.

It really is up to us whether or not God will get the glory. We can choose to dissolve into a heap in a grand pity party or we can choose to turn it into a glory story. It’s our choice.

Can I encourage you to not let your trial be for nothing. Let God use it. Let him turn it into something beautiful. Don’t let others see the knots and imperfections, the discontent and grumblings. Let them see something beautiful. Recite God’s goodness often. Tell others regularly of what God is doing in your life. Share with them the messes God has made clean.

As you get into the practice of telling others of God’s goodness in spite of the trials you face, you are revising and updating your glory story, and it becomes your testimony. Your testimony of God’s might and power, love and grace.

I love the promise that David sings in Psalm 30 verse 5 ……weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

I claim this as a promise that although the night is dark and sometimes lingers for a long while, the morning eventually comes, the sun rises, the clouds roll away, the skies clear and joy comes! The desert of suffering is not forever.

David knew, that although he faced and would face many difficulties in life, they would each eventually come to an end. Joy would come in the morning. He kept his focus on Christ and what he knew of him.

He was then able to say, “Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.” Psalm 30:11-12

Let God turn your mourning into dancing and let him clothe you with gladness. Give him all the glory and praise and don’t be silent about it.

You never know what sharing your glory story might do for someone else.

You might have to go through the fire, in order know how to pull someone else out.

Let God use you.

Let him write your glory story.