Is God Calling You to Write? (Part 2)
Updated: Sep 27, 2022
In Part 1 of "Is God Calling You to Write?", I offered simple suggestions for how to start writing "for and about God" if you don't know what to write. In this follow-up post, I want to talk about how easy, stress-free, and rewarding it can be if you just take the leap of faith. Trust me, God will catch you! And don't worry about what others will say because,
"In God, whose word I praise--in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?" Psalm 56:4
First, A Perfect Example
Johnathan Murski and I were having coffee and asked how he could help Off The Bench Ministries. I asked Johnathan what he enjoyed doing and felt were his God-given gifts and talents. He said he finds it easy to talk with people and could help us with a podcast. Great! A podcast is on the list!
Since we are starting with a Christian blog and adding a podcast in the future, I asked him if he would like to write. Johnathan let me know that he can't write because he gets writer's block. I asked him if he read "Is God Calling You to Write?" and he said yes. We talked about just "barfing on the page" as a way to begin, and he remembered that he wrote a song/poem and wanted to share it with me. He went to his car and brought back a handwritten poem in a black notebook titled "Out of Darkness." It was amazing!
A few days later, Johnathan brought me another piece of writing he wanted me to look at. It was handwritten in the same small notebook. Reading "The Agape Effect," I realized God was expressing Himself through Johnathan. It was a perfect example of what God will do when we trust the process and just write. Take a look and see for yourself!
Writing For & About God is Easy
Writing for and about God is easy, especially if you keep the proper perspective as you write. Think about writing an old-time letter to God. You are sharing with Him what's on your mind and in your heart. It's easy...
You write what's in your heart, mind, and/or spirit, not what someone else tells you to write. It's not a writing assignment but has many elements of the 5 Biblical Ministries. Remember who you are writing for and about. When you do, then writing becomes easy. Note: You don't have to create an "avatar" of your ideal reader. God knows His people and who He wants to read your writing.
If you want to use "keywords," they are straightforward to find and helpful; however, your goal is to write "God's Words," not keywords. Easy!
Writing topics are all around you. Whatever you are dealing with in life, whether positive or negative, you have issues to write about. Start writing whatever comes to mind, talk with God as you write, and ask Him for guidance. The Holy Spirit will be your Guide. He might say, "Do a Google search...type "Bible verses about ..." You'll immediately get ideas. It's easy to solve the "writer's block" challenge.
Writing For & About God is Stress-Free
Writing for and about God isn't just stress-free; it's the most relaxing form of writing there is. You can relax and have fun with God when you realize that you aren't in a competition, being graded in the traditional sense, or under a microscope with every flaw revealed.
You aren't competing against anyone else. You are sharing what God puts in your heart with the world. God knows who needs to read what you have written for Him or about Him.
God isn't looking for scholarly writing or writing from a grammarian. God has perfect grammar, but I think He is looking for the raw you, not a polished version of you, after rounds of peer review. Relax and write!
Write the way you speak. If you talk informally, write informally. If you like jokes, add humor to your writing. If you tell stories, all the better. You may reach the Best Seller List if you are a storyteller! The point is, write your way. God has already approved YOU and your writing.
If God "grades" your paper, it's either YES, you did it, or NO you didn't. Write it and feel the joy, peace, and relaxation.
You don't need to worry about the Google Algorithm, page rank, or SEO keywords. Even if your writing lands on page 7,777 of Google, if God wants someone to read your post, that person will find it. God has a way of bypassing AI algorithms and shining a spotlight on what you have written for Him. God creates Divine Appointments in person and online!
Writing For & About God is Rewarding
Writing for and about God is rewarding in many ways. First, God uses our writing as a blessing to others. Offering His word as an encouragement to others is rewarding. God also uses our writing as a way for Him to teach us what we need to know. This is incredibly rewarding.
Here are some examples...
Your writing sends a specific message, to a particular reader(s), at just the right time. Always directed and guided by God.
Your writing connects you with an army of like-minded prayer warriors/writers, each specifically gifted to write what only they can write for God.
Writing for God teaches patience. Your email may blow up because of your writings, but you'll likely receive confirmation from God as a trickle of feedback. Be patient.
God will use your message to teach you persistence. If God wants you to become an overnight Superstar, He can do it. However, while that might seem like a blessing, learning to persist when you hear crickets is more rewarding. Remember what Jesus said to the Apostle Thomas: "Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed." John 20:29 If you are called to write for Him, persist, even when you see no fruit from your labor. God sees, and you will be blessed.
Writing for and about God is humbling. It strips away our ego and allows others to see our faults, mistakes, and misunderstandings...in short, our humanity. Despite this, God uses us just as we are and molds and polishes us as we write.
Gets you into His Word daily. This is a real benefit as we grow as Christians. If we allow scripture to drive our writing, we have to open our bibles daily.
Challenges you to see God and His Word in a new way. If we just read scriptures, they can seem unrelated, almost irrelevant to our lives. However, if we are writing about and for God, we see these same scriptures come alive in our own life.
Spending more time in prayer and conversation with God is a clear benefit and byproduct of writing.
Concluding Thoughts
Not everyone is called to write. However, some of the people God is calling may be hesitant because they have experienced writer's block in the past. But I am here to encourage you to start writing as if you are conversing with God. In the process, you'll see how easy, stress-free, and rewarding it can be.
