What you write today becomes someone’s thought tomorrow

A writer, by definition, is someone who puts thoughts into other people’s heads.

Stop and think about that for a minute.

Your words give birth to thoughts in the minds of your readers.

What an opportunity! And what a weighty responsibility!

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel really afraid when I realise the weight of my responsibility as a writer. But as Christian writers, we have no need to fear.

God has given us the gift of words because He wants us to use them. Writing for His glory is a privilege, an honour, a source of deep joy!

The best part of writing as a Christian is that God doesn’t leave us to navigate the writing journey on our own. He promises to give wisdom when we ask for it. (James 1:5)

One of the primary ways we gain that wisdom is by studying His Word. The Bible is full of crystal-clear instructions on how to use our words and our thoughts.

Philippians 4:8 is one well-known passage that I’ve found especially helpful when assessing my thoughts and my writing:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (ESV)

Of course, this passage does not mean we must hide our heads in the sand and only every write or think about “nice” things.

But in the same way that Jesus used stories about wicked servants, unjust judges, and rebellious sons to lead the minds of His hearers to the truth, so should we aim to let our own experience of sin point us to the “real reality” of our beautiful Saviour.

Consider the power of the words you write and speak.

By all means, tackle the difficult and the ugly. But don’t miss out on the opportunity to lift you own thoughts and those of your readers above the suffocating clouds of evil and its effects.

Own your responsibility, Christian writer! Embrace the opportunity to fill your readers’ minds with all that is true, good, and beautiful!

Keep your eyes on the light, and keep writing!

I love all kinds of writing, but fiction is an area that I am particularly passionate about. It’s also an area in which I have a lot of experience. That’s why I’ve created this “Fiction Corner” where I give you practical tips you can implement to improve your storytelling.

Something to try this week: Do the conversations in your story seem to fall flat? Assess some of the dialogue you’ve written and ask yourself “Is there a point of conflict in this scene?”

The secret to dialogue that keeps readers reading is to include a level of conflict in every situation.

This doesn’t mean your characters must argue all the time, but in every conversation, there should be some level of internal or external conflict. This keeps conversations interesting and keeps the story moving forward.

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