Colossians 3:23 - 24 "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
I face a constant battle as a Christian writer. One part of me desperately wants to be published and recognized for my writing. The other part desperately wants to glorify and worship the Lord with what He has given me. Thankfully, these verses help quash my ego and everything is put into perspective.
These verses not only apply to my calling as a writer, but to my other roles as wife, mother, house manager, and so on. Whatever I do, I should see it as working and serving the Lord. That includes those days of folding underwear and scrubbing toilets.
What if I don't want to do the work? I have to admit, this has been an issue lately. Other than updating my blog and sending a few e-mails, I have not been writing (I'm in so much trouble now from my writer's group). I've been putting off my writing because "my heart just isn't in it." I've allowed distractions. I've taken my focus off of God and placed it on earthly concerns.
How do I remedy an unwilling heart? I'm reminded of Romans 12:1 "Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." Sacrificing what I want to do and focusing on what the Lord wants me to do is an act of worship. It may be difficult at first and will require discipline, but viewing my actions as worship prepares my heart for the work.
Also, it's considered an act of worship when I write for the Lord's glory and not for mine. It doesn't matter if zero people read my blog postings or if I ever become a published author, as long as I'm obedient to Him.
What is your motivation behind your work? Is it for you or for the Lord?
8 comments:
I am all for guarding the sloth, I mean against it. However, it could also be that we are being called away to a quiet place to get some rest and refreshment. Discerning which it is can be the tricky part. Sometimes one day a week is just not enough. Even Sid on Ice Age knew a good nap when he took one :). Write or rest on, sistah!
I have come to realize reading your blog and others how with the waiting, the rejections, the criticisms,... that this all works to develop the fruits of the Spirit - patience, humility, long-suffering, etc.
Thanks for the post - I learn a lot from them.
Susan
I've been in a writing slump myself. Thanks for the encouragement!
Wow! I just printed this to hang next to my computer. I really needed this as I have been struggling with my next steps with my writing. Thanks for sharing your heart.
Thank you all for the comments. I'm glad you found the post encouraging. It seems several of us seem to have struggles with our writing lately. I will keep you in my prayers.
I too will admit to having a dry spell. It even took me over a week to put a new post on my blog, ugh. Glad to know I am not the only one. I promise to not use that as an excuse though. Need to get my creative juices in gear and remember I am doing this for Him.
Oh dear. I've really been going through this very issue this week. God is teaching me such a lesson. My purpose in writing is not even for my audience (which seems like an altruistic motive, doesn't it?) but for God. Everything else is secondary. Thanks for reading my mind, Jo.
Denise Miller Holmes
Denver Christian Perspectives Examiner
While it seems that I'm writing to and for OTHER people, the secret is that I always write TO MYSELF. There are times when I don't want to hear ME, so those are "video days", but always videos that inspire, relax, and REmotivate me. In a nutshell, I guess my kids would say, "It's all about you, Mama!" But it's not. It's about me allowing God to talk to me through my writing. It works!
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