If one of you has a word of exhortation

If one of you has a word of exhortation for the people,  please speak

Many times in Acts, Paul has opportunities like this one to share the gospel, often in a synagogue.  He always told the story of salvation, but he did not always tell it in exactly the same way.  One story in which Paul present Jesus as the “Son of David” fulfilling God’s promises to Israel’s beloved king.  In other places, he emphasizes Moses the Lawgiver or Abraham, the man of faith.

God prepares his people

In all these tellings to Jewish hearers, Paul portrays God preparing his people for the Messiah.  But when he preached to Gentiles or mixed audiences, he tended to stress the way the chosen people reject Jesus, opening the way for God to fulfill his plan to bring salvation to the whole word.

Then again, on several occasions Paul told his own conversion story.  Again, he shaped the story in a way that would benefit his readers or listeners.

God working in our lives

We have all experienced God working in our lives, but there are many different ways to shape our stories, depending on the situation and our audience.  We should always be asking, “What is God asking me to say to this person!” and make that a central focus when we share about our lives.  Should we share about a time when God brought us to repentance, comforted us in a difficult time, or filled us with his love?

Sometimes it is also good to ell ourselves stories about what God has done for us.  How quickly we forget how far we have come, how clearly we have experienced the Lord!  We can never wear out such stories.

God loves me

Whenever you tell your story, be sure to start with this one unshakable truth,  “God love me and has always acted in love toward me.”  And be sure to tell your story, whether to yourself or someone else with the assurance that “all things work for good for those who love God”.  So follow Saint Paul’s example and his own advice, “Do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord”.