Dear Writer, I hope you had a good week and considered taking a bold step to engage with your readers! This week, we’ll explore one thing that prevents many from ever beginning their writing journey. That thing is permission.
When God calls us to write, some of us wonder if we actually have permission to begin. We often look for affirmation from other people or determine we’ll grant it to ourselves once we’ve “learned enough.” All the while, God’s already invited us into a creative fountain that’s deeper and richer than any other.
When we realize He’s opened His creative flow to us, right where we are, it changes the way we grow entirely. But before we get started, let’s look at some others whose confidence in God’s call enabled them to jump in when delay could have been disastrous…
Invited in History
Joan of Arc did not stop to get training when God called her to rally the dispirited French nation to defy its English oppressors. Joan went straight to Charles, the rightful heir to the French throne. Joan persuaded him to send her into battle against the English at Orleans and promised she would have him crowned King.
Though she had no military background, Charles allowed her to go, and Joan’s courage to follow God’s divine direction won a succession of decisive victories that turned the tide of the war. Plus, through her bold obedience to God’s leading, Joan kept her promise and saw Charles crowned king.
You see, writer, we don’t have to know everything to accept God’s invitation. We just need to say yes.
Invited in the Bible
When David saw Goliath, he had no questions about whether he should face the giant. David simply saw an enemy of God and knew that he was fit, as God’s child, to fight him. Though Saul offered his armor as protection, David even turned down the use of Saul’s armor, boldly trusting God and the skills God had given him. The trust led to a giant-sized victory.
When we realize we’ve been invited by God to write, it emboldens to jump in where we are. You see, where we are is always where God intends for us to begin. Why? Because there is something unique He’s put into you. The best way to discover that uniqueness is by simply beginning and growing as you go. And here’s the thing…
If David had used Saul’s armor, it would have been in the way of his victory. In the same way, if we allow ourselves to be weighed down by too much learning, it can hinder the originality of God’s gift in us. Like David, it’s so much better to start and let God guide us along the path.
Invited in Life
I jumped in when I first discovered the gift of healing. For years, my heart burned when I encountered the sick in public spaces. When God said He’d equipped me to pray for healing, like Jesus, I immediately began to pray for others. I wasn’t 100% sure if I was doing it right. I wished I had a mentor. But I knew God had called me, and I was to obey. Here and there I attended seminars as they were available, but mostly, I began praying for the sick wherever I saw them.
When I shared my desire for a mentor with a mature Christian friend, she wisely said, “God may want you to learn directly from Him for a while.” It turned out she was right. As God taught me by doing, He developed an approach I’ve not seen anyone else use. On suited uniquely to me.
I made plenty of mistakes along the way, but as I continue to follow His prompting and use what He’s taught me, there have been some amazing testimonies. One young man at the gym said my habit of praying for people prompted him to pray for a friend’s son, who was in a coma and dying. The son was miraculously healed. All because I was willing to jump in and learn through trial and error in the gym.
Invited in Your Life
You see, writer, when we believe we have permission to enter the creative flow of what God wants to do through us, we recognize He is in the driver’s seat of our gift. We are not solely responsible for the outcome of our calling! Isn’t that wonderful news? And here’s the thing…
As we begin to immediately obey, God reveals more about the unique gifts He’s given us, as well as what we must learn to make that uniqueness shine. Does that sound wild? Let me prove it to you…
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- Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. – Psalm 37:3-6
- The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. – Psalm 37: 23-24
- But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. – Proverbs 4:18
- And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. – Isaiah 30:20-21
You see, writer, when God call us to write, it can be tempting to dive immediately into learning the craft. But here’s the thing…
At the beginning, we don’t know much about what our gift is. As such, we have no idea what we need to learn to improve that gift. Conversely, when we jump in by faith, God uses the process of discovery to reveal our voice and highlight specific areas of growth.
As He unveils our strengths and weaknesses, we can then target our learning to enhance the voice message He’s given us. So that it becomes the very best version of the uniquely new thing He desires to unleash.
Where to Start with Being Invited
So are you ready to consider what it looks like to stop waiting for permission to write the story God’s given you? Here are some things to keep in mind…
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- Write the Vision. Whatever call from God you’ve received, write it down and refer to it daily. It can be easy to lose ourselves as a new writer (and sometimes even as an experienced one), when we don’t keep God’s call in front of us. After all, the world is a noisy place.
- Invest in the Seed. Take the first step. Whether you start at page one, or begin developing characters, or tackle a particular scene that’s in your mind, find a way to get started. It’s through the act writing itself that you will learn most about yourself as a writer.
- Know Your Why. Hone in on the particular “why” of your story. What story must be told? What message must your reader understand? How do you want their life to be transformed? Answering these questions will help you navigate the feedback that’s to come.
- Get Feedback. Once your first draft is done, ask friends, family, beta readers, and other writers to read it. Try to find people in your target audience. Then, pay attention to their feedback. Especially regarding points of confusion. Also pay attention to comments that causes you to rise up and say, “No!” Consider the “why” behind that no. It may be hurt feelings, or it may be that comment touches on the heart of your story’s uniqueness. Which leads to…
- Contextualize. When certain comments go against the grain of your story, consider why the feedback was given. There may be a real difficulty for the reader, though their suggested solution may not be apt. Happily, there is almost always a way to create clarity without compromising the integrity of our God-given story. To accomplish that requires discerning the heart behind a comment and meeting that need while simultaneously enhancing our underlying purpose in writing. Because here’s the thing…
Knowing you have permission is about learning to boldly be YOU. To be the unique writer God’s called you to be. Without apology. But knowing you have permission is also about learning how to be the BEST you that you can be.
Most of all, it’s about approaching your writing with an innate confidence that God, who called you, will guide you and show you who you are and what you need to know. Just as He showed Joan how to approach a king. Just as He prepared David to slay a giant. Just as He prepared me to pray for healing at any time and place He calls. And here’s the amazing thing…
As we begin to answer that call, we never know the adventure that God will lead us on. Or the adventure He’ll use our words to invite others into.
#invitation #boldlygo #growth #EveryWriterWriting
