{"id":40009,"date":"2017-03-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/ny-times-article-on-stories-we-tell-ourselves\/"},"modified":"2017-03-20T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2017-03-20T00:00:00","slug":"ny-times-article-on-stories-we-tell-ourselves","status":"publish","type":"sermon-illustrations","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/ny-times-article-on-stories-we-tell-ourselves\/","title":{"rendered":"‘NY Times’ Article on the Stories We Tell Ourselves"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a New York Times<\/em> article titled "The Stories We Tell Ourselves," philosopher Todd May notes that we're often telling stories about ourselves—mainly to make ourselves look good. May writes: "We tell stories that make us seem adventurous, or funny, or strong. We tell stories that make our lives seem interesting. And we tell these stories not only to others, but also to ourselves."<\/p>\n\n

May says that most of us "live in echo chambers that reflect the righteousness of our lives back to us." And in our "echo chambers" we justify why we and our group are superior to others. In short, we tell ourselves a very narrow, shallow story.<\/p>\n\n

Followers of Jesus aren't always better people, but we always have a better and bigger story because our story isn't first and foremost about us. It begins with Jesus. A children's Bible called The Jesus Storybook Bible<\/em> has a wonderful way of summarizing this story as Jesus tells his followers:<\/p>\n\n

\n

This is how God will rescue the whole world [Jesus says]. My life will break and God's broken world will mend. My heart will tear apart—and your hearts will heal … I won't be with you long. You are going to be very sad. But God's Helper will come. And then you'll be filled up with a Forever Happiness that won't ever leave. So don't be afraid. You are my friends and I love you.<\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"template":"","tax_ctp_audience":[],"tax_ctp_authors":[],"tax_ctp_categories":[165],"tax_ctp_format":[171],"tax_ctp_illustration_types":[409],"tax_ctp_multimedia":[],"tax_ctp_point_editor":[],"tax_publications":[140],"tax_ctp_tags":[3524,3839,4022,4085,4127,4189,4293,4399,4622,4704,4872,4909,4918,4930],"tax_ctp_topics":[],"class_list":["post-40009","sermon-illustrations","type-sermon-illustrations","status-publish","hentry","tax_publications-ct-pastors","tax_ctp_tags-brokenness","tax_ctp_tags-easter","tax_ctp_tags-friendship-of-god","tax_ctp_tags-gospel","tax_ctp_tags-healing","tax_ctp_tags-humble","tax_ctp_tags-jesus-christ","tax_ctp_tags-love-of-christ","tax_ctp_tags-pentecost","tax_ctp_tags-pride","tax_ctp_tags-sacrificial-love","tax_ctp_tags-self-centeredness","tax_ctp_tags-self-exaltation","tax_ctp_tags-self-righteousness"],"acf":{"scripture_references":[{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null},{"first_verse":null,"add_second_verse":false,"second_verse":null}]},"yoast_head":"\n'NY Times' Article on the Stories We Tell Ourselves - CT Pastors<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/ny-times-article-on-stories-we-tell-ourselves\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"'NY Times' Article on the Stories We Tell Ourselves - CT Pastors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In a New York Times article titled "The Stories We Tell Ourselves," philosopher Todd May notes that we're often telling stories about ourselves—mainly to make ourselves look good. 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