There’s an endless amount of excuses you can use for why you don’t have to use your voice: “there’s people who are already using their voice”… “my story isn’t that special” … “I don’t have the skills”… “what if nobody listens?”
The reason I know all of those excuses is because at one time I was very good at using them. In fact, the very first blog post I ever wrote I fought back in forth on whether or not I should share it with anyone.
Sharing it meant that I had to be vulnerable and share my weaknesses. Using my voice meant risking possible embarrassment or someone misunderstanding my words.
You don’t have to write a blog post or stand on a stage to share your story though. You just need to be real.
We don’t need the cleaned up, censored version of your story. We live in a real world, so we need the real version. We need the version with the mistakes, the heartache, and the issues – the version that you may even be ashamed about.
I know it’s scary to tell that kind of story, but those are exactly the stories that change the world.
And those are the stories we read about in scripture…
We read about Moses parting the sea, but we also read about how he was terribly afraid to use his voice. (Exodus 4:11)
We read about David slaying a giant, but we also read about him committing adultery. (2 Samuel 11:1-5)
We read about Paul’s unwavering faith and his commitment to disciple men from all nations, but we also read about his former life that consisted of persecuting and murdering the church (1 Timothy 1:13)
None of these stories are sugar coated or void of the trials of life. Even though they occurred thousands of years ago we can relate to them because they are real.
Real stories are what causes real life change. Today, we’re constantly bombarded with superficial, plastic coated stories so when somone actually branches out and speaks from the heart – the world listens.
You may feel like your story doesn’t matter, but you’re wrong.
Your story does matter, because YOU matter.
Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom, a teacher, a construction worker, a retiree, or a doctor – this world desperately needs YOUR voice and YOUR story.
God designed you with purpose and for a purpose. He has brought you through things in your life so that you can help bring others through as well.
There’s a married couple that needs to hear about how God saved your marriage from the brink of divorce.
There’s a stay at home mom who’s struggling to see the significance in her duty and needs to hear about why it’s all worth it in the end.
There’s a a frustrated and tired teacher who needs to hear why there is meaning to the 8 hours of madness in her classroom every day.
If they’ve never heard from someone that has made it to the other side of the struggle, how can they know that they will?
It’s our job to tell about the beauty found in brokenness, the victory from the valley, and the worship in our weakness.
God made you unique. Your voice is unique. Your story is unique. Your audience is unique.
If you don’t tell your story, who will?
Good job Tyler! This is so true! We all have a story and somewhere there is someone experiencing the same thing that we are going through. Thanks for these words!