“Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of us 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

In Considering Our Calling – Part 1, we discussed the foundation (intimacy with Christ) and the cornerstone (familiarity with and trust in God’s inspired Word, the Bible). 

In Considering Our Calling – Part 2, we will discuss several more important elements of this call.

The Holy Spirit’s Power Is Our Fuel

The Spirit of the living God wants to guide and empower every facet of the writing experience from the inception of an idea, to the writing itself, the various drafts, self-editing, submission, publication, and book marketing. As we submit to him, he will use what we create to touch hearts and change lives. We may struggle with fear of rejection, failure, writer’s block, or a sense of unworthiness. Yet we can cling to the promise God gave the apostle Paul, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Cor.12:9). 

Although we need to write with excellence and know our topic well, the exercise of our God-given creativity should not depend on our own wisdom. In 1 Corinthians 2:13, Paul reminded his readers that, “When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.” 

We see this empowerment even in the Old Testament. In Exodus 31:2-4, we find that, “I (God) have specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts.  He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze.” If we leave the Holy Spirit out of our writing, it will never reach the potential God intends for it. And neither will our lives as believers.  

Remember It’s Not About Us

Psalms 96:2-3 admonishes us to, “Sing to the Lord; praise his name. Each day proclaim the good news that he saves. Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.” 

It can be so easy to seek applause. And there is nothing wrong with receiving affirmation for a job well done, with feeling happy about what we’ve accomplished. But if we are performance driven, we will make applause and the approval of human beings our first goal. We may feel pressured by the expectations of others to produce a certain amount of work in a certain amount of time. We may shrink back from writing or speaking the truth because it may offend someone. The fear of man then rules our writing rather than the fear of God. This is idolatry. 

But performance can spill over into our relationship with God. We can become anxious that we’re not writing “enough” and that what we do accomplish is never done well enough, that God is never quite pleased with us. 

Whenever we base our self-worth on the opinions of others or on our success or lack thereof, we are putting ourselves, rather than Christ and his kingdom at the center of things. We are not defined or affirmed by how much we do. We are loved and accepted simply because we are the Father’s precious child bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. He would still be pleased with us even if we never wrote another word.

When we write instead from a spirit of humility and in the fear of God, we shift the center of our focus from ourselves and how inadequate we feel. We seek his glory as we give ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1), submitting to Christ in all areas of our lives, knowing he has all wisdom, goodness, and power. We experience  peace and freedom from pressure to perform and  self-confidence becomes God-confidence. We can then step outside our comfort zones in order to serve others and make the most of every opportunity God gives us in a time that desperately needs his light (Col. 4:5). 

Avoid the Comparison Trap

God made our gift uniquely for us. We are not to look at what someone else can do and envy their ability or experience and we are not to feel superior about our talent or achievements. We are responsible to use what we’ve been given for God’s kingdom under God’s direction. The apostle Paul addressed this in Galatians 6:4-5 when he said to, “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then we will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and we won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. For we are each responsible for our own conduct.” Romans 12:3 also reminds us, “Don’t think we are better than we really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.”  

In Part 3 of Considering Our Calling we will discuss a few final elements of stewarding our calling responsibly.