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| "The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims His handiwork..." Psalm 19:1 |
Why Do We Do What We Do?
Whenever I teach young people about who God is, I always ask them the question, "Why did God create?"
And they usually sit and stare at me, not knowing how to answer.
Did He create because He had a need to fulfill?
No. God is perfect, complete, and eternal and has no needs.
So, why, then, did He create?
Think about it.
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| God chose the written word to communicate to His people. |
To Be Known
Why do we writers write? Why do artists paint or draw? Why do singers sing?
To be known.
God created in order to be known. To be is to do! If God never moved, we would never know who He is.
We can know much about God by looking at His creation all around us. It is no coincidence that He chose to have his special revelation in written form.
We writers write in order to be known by our readers. Otherwise, why write at all?
We were created in the image of God. He created to be known. We desire to create in order to be known.
But our methods and our desires are flawed by our sin.
Instead, our desire is about getting an agent...signing a book deal with a top publisher...building a platform...selling millions of copies!
Otherwise, we are...*gasp*...a failure in our own eyes.
What To Do About It...
Give it away! Give your book to the Lord. Hand it to Him and tell Him it is ALL HIS.
Acknowledge that it may never be published. It may never be read by anyone. It may never be known.
And that's ok!
Your story is known by the eternal living God.
That should be enough.
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It is imperative for Christian writers to stop and reflect on why we write in the first place.
Is it for our glory? Or God's glory?
Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth:
"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31
Because we are flawed with sin, our desires can become tainted.
Stop today and contemplate the Lord's glory. How can He use your writing to further His Kingdom here on earth?
Why do you write? To be known?
Or for God to be known through you?
In whatever you do...do it all to the glory of God.
And He will be known through all your gifts and talents...and stories!
Isn't that what it's all about?
Your turn: Do you struggle with the purpose of your writing? What do you do about that struggle?
Blessings,
Ruth
Ruth, I love the ways God reaches out to us, trying to reveal Himself in ways we can comprehend. And you're so right, he began with creation. Thanks for giving me something to think about with a smile. :)
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure! Thanks for visiting!!
DeleteFirst, I love how you started this post. I also love the line you wrote in the "What to Do about It" section of this post: "Give your book to the Lord. Hand it to Him and tell Him it is all his."
ReplyDeleteWhat a great way to look at writing!
As a young writer, I am inspired by the stories I hear during the summer as a Camp Counselor. Children bear so much pain and hurt at the expense of their peers and even their families! Even the young Christians often do not have anybody they can turn to for help. That's why I want to write real stories that these children can relate too that will share about God's love and care. Even though I know this, it's easy for me to forget this. Thanks for the reminder!
I will share this post through my Twitter.
Hey that is a terrific idea! Yes, these stories will help other kids. I hope you are able to write.
DeleteJust keep praying about it and, as I wrote, give it to the Lord! He will use it.
Thanks for visiting and tweeting this post out.