I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned as a writer today. Many of the lessons I’ve learned are applicable to my Christian faith and life as well as specifically for writing.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED AS A WRITER
Listen to God
I’ve been writing for over 20 years now in one form or another. One of the biggest lessons writing has taught me is learned to listen for God’s voice. It is learning to let Him lead.
As many of us do, I have a tendency to do things in my own strength. I don’t intend to but I just get going and before you know it I forget that this is a journey that I am doing with God.
The Lord doesn’t want me to work for Him, He wants to work with me side by side, leading me. It’s one of the hardest things for me to learn.
There’s an old song by the Newsboys called “Be Still” that reminds me of this truth. One of the lyrics is “Be still and know He is God”.
You can check it out here on YouTube:
or buy it here on Amazon.
If you get anything out of this post or out of life this is it. Learn to listen and hear the voice of God.
I can’t Do It On My Own
No matter what you do in life, you can’t do it on your own. You can’t work inside a bubble nor does God want you to. When I first started writing, I had a lot to learn about building a website, SEO, marketing, writing and more. I still do.
I’ve come a long way. However, when I first started all I knew is that I wanted to share the poetry I’ve written with other people hoping that they would be blessed and inspired in their own walk with God.
I did my research and learned how to self-publish a book on Amazon. I did it all myself. But I didn’t sell many copies. You see, I didn’t know what I didn’t know.
So, over the years I’ve learned to invest in resources, get training and network with other people.
The same is true for our Christian faith. The heart of the gospel is when Jesus said to “Love God first and love your neighbor as yourself.” How can you do that if you isolate yourself?
We aren’t meant to do life alone. Whether you are a writer, a mom, business owner or something else, life is about the connections we make.
The impact we make on other people and our relationships are what really matter. We can’t take our stuff or possessions with us. However, the impact we make on others and our memories will always be with us.
Know Who God Created Me To Be
Another thing that God has taught me over the years is who He created me to be. Most of my life I didn’t think anything about it. I struggled with self-image problems and depression because I would take criticism personally instead of learning from it which I did because I took it as a criticism of who I was instead of a criticism of a process or something I was doing.
For example, when your child does something wrong, you try to teach them that what they did was wrong as opposed to telling them that they are a bad person.
The first is a process the second goes to the core of who the child is and there is a big difference.
I have learned and continue to learn, because it is a lifelong journey, that at my core I am a child of God and a citizen of heaven. As a child of God, I am deserving of all that God has for me in the same way a prince will inherit the kingdom of his father the King.
So, what is true of Jesus, is also true of us.
Additionally, we each have a specific purpose based on how God created us. To each one of us, He gave various talents and spiritual gifts, propensities, physical traits, etc.
He wants us to use our gifts to honor Him and be a light to this dark world. For me, part of that purpose is writing.
I have learned over the years, that oftentimes we have hidden talents and gifts that need nurturing to bring them out. However, it’s easy to let the stresses of this world and what other people say and think about who we are to stop us from exploring these gifts.
Don’t be afraid to learn something new. Explore the deep recesses of your heart. Don’t be afraid to fail or look bad. You have to willing to do something badly before you can do it well. The only true failure is not trying.
I don’t know about you, but I want to give God every opportunity to use me in this crazy world.
Vision and purpose come from knowing who you are in Christ as opposed to who the world or other people say you are.
Conclusion
What I’ve learned over the years as a writer and as a Christian is a very long list. However, these are 3 of the most important lessons that will serve you well no matter what you want to do in this life.
Learning to listen to God, don’t do life alone, and know who God created you to be are three of the most important things I have learned over the years.
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