Turn on any news network—or tune in to almost any conversation about current events—and you’ll hear a steady stream of ugliness. That’s not because all the news happening in the world is bad. It’s because bad news seems more noteworthy, gets higher ratings, and arouses our fascination more than good news does. It screams loudly and gets a lot of airtime.
“Gospel” means “good news.” The word “evangelism” literally means “good message.” Though we generally apply that to a very specific message of salvation, it’s really broader than that. God tells good stories. He offers solutions. He delivers hope. While most Christians preach a fragment of a message and leave the “news” to ratings-hungry storytellers—though some prophesy disaster at every turn—God is weaving untold and unnoticed messages of hope into the daily life of millions.
Tell those stories. Talk about how the kingdom is growing, not how it’s under attack. The narrative we choose to focus on says much more about us than it does about God. His narrative is good, and we’re called to align with it. If we want to be like him, we’ll need to begin pouring forth compelling stories of hope, redemption, and restoration. We’ll need to notice the right things.
While you’re at it, don’t just speak good news. Be good news. God offers much more than a good narrative; he offers himself. To be like him, become a carrier of hope, redemption, and restoration. Become part of the message as well as the messenger. You’re called not only speak the gospel but also to live it—just like your Father.
