I’m just a sensitive person. I was the little girl who cried uncontrollably for 30 minutes after going to see Fox and the Hound. It’s also translated into a hyper-sensitivity to what others think about me. I grew up in a wonderful Christian family and church, but I was always concerned with looking like the perfect kid. I pressured myself to speak right, stand right, pray right, worship right…it became overwhelming. I felt as though God looked down on me in disappointment because I couldn’t have my devotions correctly. It was in my college years that my relationship with God reached a greater depth than obligation. I was able to reach that depth because God was faithful to soften my heart and teach me some important principles.
Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” I learned to move past the pretense and fear of being imperfect. God was able to handle my flaws. I didn’t have to put on a happy face when I was praying… I could be brutally honest with Him about my struggles. Nothing has had more of an impact on my relationship with God than pouring out my heart to Him. When I empty myself, He fills me. He fills me with peace, wisdom, conviction, courage, and faith.
I have learned to plug into my source…Jesus Christ. He stated in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” What does this have to do with us as Christian writers? In order to produce material that is meaningful and founded on truth, we have to be plugged into the source. Our first calling as Christian writers is still to know Christ and make Him known.
Sure, there are many talented writers who do not know Christ as their Savior, but we need more than words. Paul said something similar when he was writing to the Thessalonians in I Thessalonians 1:5. “Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” Writing isn’t just a job or a hobby…for us as Christians, it’s a calling. I Peter 4:11 challenges, “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God…so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” We have to be plugged into the source, pursuing a deep relationship with God, so that we (and our writing) can bear Kingdom-purpose fruit.
When we connect with God, we are connecting with the One who created the world in 7 days by His words alone. Need ideas? Have writers’ block? As we seek Him, He will give us His eyes and His heart. He’ll put His causes and ideas in us. The instigator of creativity is God. Jesus is known, even outside Christianity, for his stories and parables. He knew how to use anecdotes, transitions and quotes from Scripture to paint a picture of truth. Who better to give us inspiration?So, let’s be careful not to fool ourselves. Without Christ, we can do nothing of eternal value. Let’s make pursuing Him a priority and ask Him to fill us with His ideas. Then we can use our words to paint pictures of God’s truth to the world.
Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.” I learned to move past the pretense and fear of being imperfect. God was able to handle my flaws. I didn’t have to put on a happy face when I was praying… I could be brutally honest with Him about my struggles. Nothing has had more of an impact on my relationship with God than pouring out my heart to Him. When I empty myself, He fills me. He fills me with peace, wisdom, conviction, courage, and faith.
I have learned to plug into my source…Jesus Christ. He stated in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” What does this have to do with us as Christian writers? In order to produce material that is meaningful and founded on truth, we have to be plugged into the source. Our first calling as Christian writers is still to know Christ and make Him known.
Sure, there are many talented writers who do not know Christ as their Savior, but we need more than words. Paul said something similar when he was writing to the Thessalonians in I Thessalonians 1:5. “Our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” Writing isn’t just a job or a hobby…for us as Christians, it’s a calling. I Peter 4:11 challenges, “If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God…so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” We have to be plugged into the source, pursuing a deep relationship with God, so that we (and our writing) can bear Kingdom-purpose fruit.
When we connect with God, we are connecting with the One who created the world in 7 days by His words alone. Need ideas? Have writers’ block? As we seek Him, He will give us His eyes and His heart. He’ll put His causes and ideas in us. The instigator of creativity is God. Jesus is known, even outside Christianity, for his stories and parables. He knew how to use anecdotes, transitions and quotes from Scripture to paint a picture of truth. Who better to give us inspiration?So, let’s be careful not to fool ourselves. Without Christ, we can do nothing of eternal value. Let’s make pursuing Him a priority and ask Him to fill us with His ideas. Then we can use our words to paint pictures of God’s truth to the world.
1 comments:
Christina: Thanks for a great reminder! Well written, from your heart. I'm looking forward to reading more of your writing. Kim
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