by Jonathan Haverdink
RECEIVE and REFLECT: Happy Thanksgiving! Today you will likely be given many chances to express what you are grateful for. What an opportunity to make known what God has done in your life just as the following passage speaks of:
And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth (Isaiah 12:4-5).
God’s deeds deserve to be proclaimed among all peoples. So, what are those glorious works you have witnessed God do? Think about ways God helped you experience joy in the midst of sorrow, relief in the midst of pain, courage in the midst of fear, and peace in the midst of anxiety. Essentially, what makes the Good News good to you today?
God is always at work in our lives, which means that every day, He gives us new reasons to praise Him and share His goodness with others. The trick is being ready to share it at every opportunity because, sadly, not everyone knows it!
So to help you make God’s goodness known, here is a simple tool I challenge you to use at least once today. It’s called an Everyday Gospel Story.
How many times in an average day do you get asked the question, “How are you doing?” Or some variation of that? Probably several, maybe even dozens! The typical response to that question is usually, “Pretty good,” or “Busy but good,” or some variation of that. But each “How are you” is an opportunity to make known God’s goodness!
Imagine changing the question to, “How have you experienced God’s goodness recently?” It’s effectively the same question, but my response to the latter would be much more thoughtful. So, an Everyday Gospel Story is simply a brief, thoughtful response to the question “How are you?” or better yet, “What are you thankful for?” which I’m sure you are likely to ask or be asked today.
In your journal, make 4 bullet points and label them “before, how, after, and response question.” Think about a time when you experienced God being good to you in the midst of something difficult (grief, anxiety, fear, etc.). Respond to the 4 bullet points as shown below:
BEFORE: Write down the challenge or hardship you were facing.
HOW: Write how God met you in that hardship and showed you His goodness.
AFTER: Note how that experience impacted you.
RESPONSE QUESTION: Jot down a thoughtful question that invites your conversation partner to respond.
Example: “These past few months have been pretty stressful because of all of the big decisions that needed to be made [before], but in the midst of that stress, God has given me peace by reminding me of this verse in the Bible that says, ‘The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps’ [how]. Knowing that God is the one establishing my steps helps me relax and experience peace [after]. What gives you peace when you’re in a stressful season [response question]?”
Your Everyday Gospel Story takes a bit of consideration, but it can be a simple, conversational way to tell someone about God’s work in your life!
RESPOND: Today your gratitude journal will help you record your own Everyday Gospel Story.
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