Naming Character by Scotty Smith

In any story, well-developed, complex characters drive the plotline. But our stories are unique because they bear the mark of God. In one of my favorite books, Restoring Broken Things,Scotty Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman write,

“God is telling an authentic, non-spin story of selfish, broken people, who are in the process of being made new by Jesus. That’s why Jesus has the lead role in God’s Story. But He’s not the only character. He’s making us characters too. We are carriers of God’s Story – targets for hope who’ll serve as agents of hope, and candidates of mercy who’ll live as conduits of mercy. Jesus is bringing restoration to broken individuals as a means of bringing healing to other individuals, families, communities, and ultimately, to the whole universe.” (Restoring Broken Things)

Because God has made us characters who are carriers of His story, we must carefully consider the people and relationships in our stories. No person, no interaction with a person, can be random – each one, whether an apparently good or evil influence, has been written there by God to further His purposes. Think of a question people commonly ask you – “How did you…end up in Pensacola, Florida?….know you wanted to be a carpenter when you grew up? ….meet your best friend?” The answers to these questions involve story, but they also involve characters.

Be sure to check back tomorrow when I’ll share a story to show you what this might look like.