Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Writing a Message: Surrendering your words and thoughts

How easy is it to sit back and dream of the day you'll be holding a bestseller in your hand? Not just any best seller, but your bestseller. Isn't it a wonderful thought, imagining a long line of people waiting impatiently for you to sign their copy?

Do you ever dream of the constant royalties coming in? Can you just see yourself leaving your ginormous house in your brand new Mercedes as you are on your way to speak at a writer's conference?

Oh the glory and fame! What a life that would be to live! Right?

But after you spend ten minutes day dreaming, you snap out of it, return to reality, start typing out a paragraph, then frown because it stinks. You then open up blogs of best selling authors and spend ten minutes envying and admiring them, thinking, "Why can't I just write a book as good as their's?"

Yep. Been there. In fact, it's a daily struggle for me not to get caught up in this perfect plan I develop in my mind. Then I grow discouraged that I am still where I am, and not a well known published author.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. ~ Psalm 19:14: But whenever I look at my writing and cringe because I think it's awful, I suddenly become humbled, remembering that God did not plant in me the passion to write just so I could become a successful and famous author.

In fact, if I wanted to, I could write something that would appeal much more to the world instead of holding fast to the convictions in my heart...and possibly have more of a chance to get my name out there.

So, basically, I could pursue my own false desires to become a best seller by completely ignoring the wisdom and strength God has to offer and write things that do not honor His precious name.

Or...I could surrender all my dreams all my words and all my thoughts to write what He has taught me.

I would much rather know that one person has received Christ by reading something I write, than becoming well known for writing something that would break God's heart.

Don't get me wrong. There is certainly nothing wrong with becoming a well known writer and best seller! In fact, there are many Christian best sellers who I look up to and it is easy to want to follow their foot steps.

But as writers for Christ, if our focus is completely on our Savior, and if we are surrendering every word we write to Him each day...we need to trust that God will use our gift in ways we can never imagine. When we share a powerful message that shows who God is, we are living out His will and knowing that lives are being changed because we surrendered!

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