A Writer Who Writes

We had an interesting two-hour discussion in class on Thursday night about whether we are Christians who write or are called to write. Phil had some excellent ideas on the subject that you can read at Deep Thoughts Simply Expressed.And Garret also has some good thoughts on his site at My Own Words. Scroll down to the post entitled: “The Pen in my hand is for?”

Our class came to the conclusion that if you are a Christian who has been called to write, that doesn’t make you more spiritual than the next Christian, but it does mean that you have a responsibility to be obedient to the call. For some, as with David in our class, that means he must take some classes and develop his craft and skill so that he can accomplish the task of writing the book God has called him to write. He’s doing that! And with gusto!

For others that means they need to readjust their schedules and make room for writing.

But wait! In case you think you’re off the hook because you haven’t been called to write, think again.

If you are a Christian who writes and people tell you that you have a gift, then you are just as responsible to be obedient in using that gift as a Christian who has been called to write. So, you pretty much end up in the same space. The main difference I see is that you have more flexibility as to what you write.

So, in the end, we need to encourage one another to stir up the gifts God has given us.

Personally, I believe God gives gifts to everybody, even those who don’t claim Him as Lord. I also believe that artists, writers, musicians . . . all the crafty people . . . tend to be up and down in mood and attitude. So, that’s something we all need to help each other with.

It’s vital to not worship the gift over the Giver.

I think this is something that happens a lot with us crafty people (artists, musicians, and writers). And it drives a lot of us crazy! But when we get our focus back on God, we are more apt to be content with our work and freed up to create instead of comparing ourselves with others.

Ahhhhh, that’s a good place to be.

As far as Christians only writing Christian stuff . . . that’s totally a personal choice.

I write mainly for the outdoor markets and seldom mention God.

Jesus, told lots of stories that had no religious or Bible talk at all. He made up fiction stories (parables) to speak truth into people’s lives . . . stories that people could relate to. Tolkien did that. So did C.S. Lewis. Ted Dekker and Frank Perettiare still doing it. I can picture heaven more clearly because of the Chronicles of Narnia, (Lewis), and I can’t wait to plunge into Elyon’s Lake (Dekker). House (Dekker) shows me just how much I need God’s help in cleaning up my own heart.

So, set aside some time to write. Proverbs says our words hold the power of life and death. Let’s develop our skills and learn our craft and write words that give life to our readers. It’s an excellent way to answer “The Call” or stir up the gifts God has given you.