Does writing ever feel like toil to you, writer? Does it ever seem burdensome or Does it ever seem burdensome or wearying? Sometimes, life gets us caught in a cycle of going through the motions devoid of the passion or clarity that started us. Sometimes we cry out with Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1:3…
“What do people gain from all their labors
at which they toil under the sun?“
How do we find ourselves here, writer? Sometimes it seems like it’s simply because life’s worn us down. Or that deadlines press. But often the real reason we get locked into the “doing” of writing is that we’ve forgotten the reason of why we’re writing. Because here’s the thing, writer. Passion comes from purpose.
You would think a person like King Solomon would have been able to keep hold of his purpose. His “why.” After all, he was the author of Proverbs-a book all about wisdom and purpose! But at the end of his life, he authored Ecclesiastes, declaring nearly all to be meaningless… If Solomon could miss the point, let’s make sure we don’t!
So how do we keep from forgetting our purpose? Here’s the thing, writer. Purpose comes from identity. When our identity is secure, our purpose is clear, and passion is a natural outcome.
When we don’t have passion, it’s often because we’ve lost sight of our purpose because we’ve lost sight of who we are. Think of King Solomon. When he remembered who God made him to be—and what kind of king he was supposed to be and what kind of kingdom he was supposed to have—he prospered. When King Solomon forgot who he was and God’s covenant with him and began to behave like the pagan kings around him…his sense of purpose and passion vanished.
So how about you, writer? Do you know who God made you to be? What story He’s given you?
If you don’t, I encourage you to ask Him! He gives wisdom to all! And once you’ve asked, take some time simply to listen and to write down what you hear him say. Then stick it somewhere where you will see it every day. And as you move forward with your eyes fixed on His vision for you, you fill find that passion start to reignite once more.
#writing #passion #purpose #identity #Solomon #everywriterwriting
