Is Storytelling Important…to Christians?

Now that we have established the fact that storytelling is an important aspect of human life — an important tool of communication, both psychologically and culturally — we can narrow the focus of the question to a sharper point: is storytelling important…to Christians?

Christians have a unique role of living in the world but being set apart from it; they are all — each and every one — being sanctified and made holy to the likeness of Christ. That means that in many cases, we have to step away from worldly things. Worldly desires, ways of communicating, types of interactions with others, the list goes on and on. We are called to be distinct, Christlike, and seeking after what is good and holy.

Now, while certain kinds of stories most definitely do fall into the category of “worldly things Christians should avoid”, the form of communication in general is actually an integral part of the Christian faith. Indeed, storytelling is actually crucial to the Christian in two very specific ways: the Bible and the testimonies of our brothers and sisters in Christ. The first one may be a little shocking (and we will dive into more detail about it in the next article), but to summarize it briefly, the Bible is in large part a collection of stories. True histories, personal tales of faith, heavily symbolic prophecies, all of these are various kinds of stories. There are even examples of fiction in the Bible, with Jesus’ parables. The Bible itself is how God uses stories — this fascinating form of communication — to convey His messages to us.

The second way storytelling is essential, however, is with testimonies. Personal stories of how God rescued you from sin, changed your heart from stone to flesh, lifted you up, corrected your sin, and worked all things out to your good. These are powerful tools for the Christian, not only to strengthen themselves, but to share with others, to speak the wonderous love of God, and to bring all glory back to Him. And these, ultimately, are stories. The stories of our lives and how we have arrived to where we are today. Sharing these stories is an excellent, excellent thing.

There is no mistake in God’s design for us or how He uses us to evangelize others with our testimonies. These are built-in tools of ministry and edification, where we can relate powerful examples of God’s healing, justice, mercy, righteousness, and sovereignty to others who may feel isolated, alone, or abandoned. Yes, we should use the Bible and explain His nature through it, but, occasionally, the best tool to connect with another human being is “I have been where you are. Let me tell you what the Lord did for me.”

So, storytelling is not only important to Christians, but you can also say that it is both essential and inescapable as we reach out to those outside the faith and encourage those within it. Through stories we can connect with other people — saints and sinners alike — and glorify God through how He has worked in our lives.