“Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-28 NLT

My parents had little money but they loved me and taught me to love God. They noticed I enjoyed writing stories so they gave me a typewriter for my tenth birthday, that antiquated technology with a lever you pulled to bring you back to the beginning of the machine’s carriage so you could type your next line. 

We were Mennonites, which meant I wore the white net prayer cap after I committed my life to Christ. It also meant I wore only dresses or blouses and skirts, usually homemade or hand-me-downs, and no makeup, jewelry, or cut hair. I also needed eyeglasses with thick lenses. So I possessed few of the attributes the world considers necessary for success and acceptance. Yet despite my lack, God called me to write over the years in ways that have left me in no doubt of his purposes for me. 

Wherever you are in your writing adventure, how do you feel about it, about yourself: confident of your calling, in touch with the Holy Spirit, struggling, worthy and adequate, or not so much? 

Jesus came from a poor, lower-class family, born to a mother who for all appearances, had conceived an illegitimate son. Isaiah 53:2 says that Jesus had, “no beauty or majesty to attract us to him.” His disciples were nobodies: fishermen, a zealot, two hot-headed brothers, a despised tax collector. Yet along with their Master, they formed the foundation of the early church described by their enemies as those who “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6).

So whether we feel we have a divine mandate or not, God wants to use what we create with words. In this and the following two blogs, we will look at some vital elements in making our gift of writing available for the Lord’s use.

Intimacy With Christ Is Our Foundation

Intimacy with Christ and his perfect love must form the foundation and be the lifespring for every area of our lives including our writing. Our Lord longs for a close relationship with us more than he wants our polished manuscripts and book sales. Jesus said the most important work he asks of us is to believe in him and the Father who sent him (John 6:29). He also commanded us to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and others as we love ourselves (Mark 12:30-31).  In John 15:5 Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” If we maintain this intimacy, Jesus promises us that, “My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them” (John 14:23). 

Familiarity With God’s Word Is Our Cornerstone

Jesus is described by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:20-21 as the Cornerstone upon which the body of believers is built into a temple for the living God. John 1 tells us that Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh (vs. 14), that he was with God and is God (vs. 1). Hebrews 4:12 describes God’s Word as, “Alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword,” and that it, “exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Two of the items in the list of spiritual armor in Ephesians 6 are the belt of truth and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Notably, Revelation 1:16 speaks of Jesus having a two-edged sword coming from his mouth. 

This world is in desperate need of the life and freedom-giving truth found in God’s inspired Word, the Bible for Satan is a liar and deceiver who seeks to devour those who accept his counterfeit “truth” (John 8:44, 1 Peter 5:8). As writers, we each need to be the “good worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Everything we write, every facet of our lives, must be built on absolute faith in and obedience to the Scriptures as well as a thorough knowledge and understanding of them. Just like God’s word, we want what we write to produce fruit and to accomplish all God wants it to, and to prosper everywhere he sends it (Isaiah 55:11). In Considering Our Calling – Part 2, we will consider several more important elements of our divine mandate to write.