Jesus was famous for using stories to prove a point, such as the parables with which He mesmerized the crowds. One of the more famous is found in Luke 15 and is of a certain son who asked his father for his inheritance, only to go and squander it in a far-off land. When the son came to his senses, he humbled himself and returned to his father, expecting to be received as a slave at best, but to be welcomed instead as the loved son that he was. Jesus used this parable to point out the relentless mercy and grace of our heavenly father. Indeed, stories have power to grip us to the core and can be used to transform us. 

At least five benefits of powerful stories exist:

1. Powerful stories excite the senses. How many times have you shed tears because of a moving story, or laughed out loud, or felt sick in your stomach because of some detail that gripped you? A story told well can easily connect and toy with our emotions.
   
2. Powerful stories capture the imagination. Today we have little margin for genuine wonder, but powerful stories leave us awestruck, stirring the imagination in ways that little else does. This is good for us.
   
3. Powerful stories motivate thoughtful reflection. They force us to think, force us to sharpen our mental saws. We learn to employ discernment and enhance our general wisdom when we can play life circumstances out in the context of stories.
   
4. Powerful stories influence our behavior. Sometimes this is good and sometimes it is not, but one thing is true—we are far more influenced by the power of a story than we may ever realize.
   
5. Powerful stories urge important aspirations. They help us discover what kind of people we wish to be or not be, what kind of things we want to do or not do, and what kind of lives we desire to lead or not lead. Stories are incredible tools to give shape to our future. They help us cast personal vision and show us pathways for realizing such vision.

Stories are incredible tools giving shape to our lives. We need to craft them, enter into them and tell them well. We need to let God (re)shape our lives with narratives that stretch out to us from heaven.

There is great power in story. What stories shape you?

Pastor Matthew St. John is senior pastor at New Hope Church. He nurtures a deep passion for telling stories that share God’s Word so that those who are spiritually hungry may experience and proclaim the life-changing power of Jesus Christ. He and his wife, Christa, love sports, unique restaurants and long walks. Follow him on his blog, Twitter or Facebook.