Deuteronomy 6:7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
The Bible teaches us the power of storytelling. The art of storytelling can transform us into an influential leader. It creates an instantaneous rapport with our audience and can inspire, impress and have a massive impact on the listeners. In ancient times, families sat around the dinner table and spoke for hours. They had no TV, phones or other gadgets that enthralls us into isolation. It is important to reinvent the art of storytelling and interacting with the next generation.
The Jewish mums and dads, grandmas and grandpas sat around the little lamp and spoke about the stupendous wonders and miracles. They spoke about the ten plagues of Egypt that brought them out of slavery, the splitting of the Red Sea; delivery of manna every morning at the doorstep, water gushing out of the rock in the middle of a dry desert, the canopy of cloud that served as an air cooler during the day and a centralized heater during the night. As they spoke about the incredible miracles, the faith of the next generation was strengthened. Storytelling is not just for entertainment, it transfers knowledge. Knowledge transfer was crucial to build the belief-system of the next generation.
“I’ll tell you a secret. Old storytellers never die. They disappear into their own story.” – Vera Nazarian
Spiritually enriching experiences must be shared with children and grandchildren. Our testimonies will lay the road for the faith journey of the next generation. People die but their testimonies never die. Talk to the next generation about your testimonies when you go for a walk or when you sit around the table for a family meal.
Storytellers never die, they live through their testimonies:
1. Impress: Storytelling is the most efficient tool to impress godly values and truth in the heart of the listeners. Truth shared from our heart without any frills or façade will penetrate deep into the heart of the younger generation. They don’t want to hear about how difficult our world was before ‘iPhones’ and ‘Robots’ but they will be impressed to hear about how God worked through our lives in a world without technology.
2. Impact: To leave an indelible impact we must be careful not to highlight ourselves in the testimony but to underscore the power of God. Testimony is only a real time story to tie back to what the Word of God teaches us. When the emphasis is on Him and not on our achievement, it will leave an unforgettable impact on the listeners.
3. Inspire: Even if we repeat a story or a testimony, it will rekindle and inspire the listeners if the purpose is to enthuse the faith of the listeners.
Storytelling is a powerful arsenal to influence the next generation.
Deuteronomy 11:19 Teach them to your children, speaking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, teach me the art of storytelling to leave a rich legacy of godly values. Amen
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