A Christian memoir is a narrative written by an author bringing into perspective his relationship with God and how the power of the gospel has been the uttermost influence over his life. It reveals his life experiences and how his faith in God has impacted his existence.
Christian memoirs also serve as a check for our lives as Christians, inspiring and filling us with courage. There is no doubt that Christian memoirs impact our lives as they emphasize hope, courage, faith, trust, and complete reliance on God and his workings in the lives of believers. We take clues from these stories, and we apply the lessons to our lives too. We see how God intervened in the lives of the authors, and we are spurred up to completely trust in God as well, knowing that he never fails.
However, it is crucial for us to know that aside from the impact these stories have on us, they also give God glory. In this post, I will be unveiling how Christian memoirs glorify God. Five ways in which a Christian memoir glorifies God.
1) Reveals the personality of God to man.
1 John 1:1-2 states, "We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life".
Apostle John was sharing his experiences of having touched God and interacted with Christ. And in doing this, he concluded that Christ is the Word of Life and the eternal life. Through Christian memoirs, we come to hear of how God revealed himself to other people in their life experiences. These experiences and knowledge of him help build their faith in God and the faith of other Christian readers.
2) Christian memoirs help us experience and appreciate God's power and wisdom in the lives of others.
We all know the story of the Israelites when they were in captivity in Egypt, as was well recorded in the book of Exodus. We read about the events that took place in Egypt against Pharaoh. We also read how God parted the Red Sea with his mighty power. All of these stories showed God's might, power, and unsearchable wisdom in delivering the children of Israel. We take clues from these stories and are encouraged to believe in God's power and interventions in our lives. We see how God intervened in the stories of the authors. The same applies to spiritual memoirs; we see how God intervened in very difficult life situations of the authors, which is also consistent with God's powerful move as we see as well in the Holy Scriptures.
3) Christian memoirs also project the influence of the true gospel in the lives of believers and the way the gospel makes the difference, thereby giving glory to God.
These narratives don't just talk about the authors; they emphasize the impact of the true gospel in their lives. The gospel helps the author identify his weakness and recognize how much he needs Christ in his life. This sharpens the believer's dealings with others and the material universe. It affects his perspective, his preferences, and what he ultimately lives for. Apostle Paul said in 1Cor 10:31, "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." The gospel becomes the compass for such an author's life, and we see how this plays out in his life. We see how his life glorifies God. Readers take a cue from this, and they are encouraged to live their lives to glorify God.
4) Christian memoirs reveal God's sovereignty over the life of the author.
At one point or the other, we have wondered why certain things have happened to people. Whether good or bad. In Christian memoirs, we are privileged to read about the author's battles, victories, and defeats. We read about gains and losses, seemingly controllable situations, and the ones that are beyond control. We learn how these authors were able to rest on God's sovereignty. We learn how they coped when prayers were answered, and when they were not. We learn how they trusted God when they lost loved ones and how God comforted them. We learn how to rest in the assurance that God is all sovereign and whatever comes the way of his children, he always works it out for their good. These memoirs spur us to learn from these believers how they trusted God through thick and thin. This would equally encourage us to completely lean on God, knowing that he has got all power in his hands. For whoever would come to him must believe that he is able to save.
5) Christian memoirs point readers to God and not to the author.
John the Baptist said He must increase and I must decrease. Memoirs generally are narratives about the author. But Christian memoirs, focus less on the author and more on God who was at work in the life of that author. This primarily makes the difference, and this is the only way memoirs can glorify God. Since these memoirs are not aimed at projecting self, the author needs not sugar coat his experiences. He does not need to shy away from his weakness, to present himself as a flawless man. Rather, the memoir would aim to present him as he is, with his goodness and his flaws. He then showcases how God helped him, a weak man, live victoriously in life. This alone is inspiring to readers as they can relate to it, and in the end, they would be able to glorify God, who lives in mortal men and works wonders in them, for them and through them, making his fragrance spread to the world.
In conclusion, Christian memoirs are compelling, soul-lifting, and undoubtedly, God-glorifying as long as we keep Him as the center of it all.
If you're interested in publishing your memoir then let's talk. You can click here to get the ball rolling.
Respectfully,
Ashley King
The Get It Done Queen helping people of faith tell their story by writing a book and maximize their reach through speaking and events.
www.ashleymking.com