Who are you writing for? (Part 1)
I never excelled at school and my writing was never more than average, but the pen was always my close companion. Things changed after I became a Christian and discovered the Bible. Ezra 7:10 summarizes what God has been doing in my life ever since,
“For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.”
The desire to study, practice and teach the Scriptures resulted in many opportunities to prepare sermons and bible studies, and the determination to apply the Scriptures to the challenges and practical problems of life. A hunger for knowledge drove me to begin a lifelong habit of reading the Scriptures daily, to take numerous courses and seminars, and to build up a home study full of resources. It has always concerned me that many Christians neglect their bibles, especially when the challenges to the church and the scriptures themselves (from within and without), has been steadily gaining momentum over the last 40 years. Without a firm foundation, many will not stand.
In late 2008, God used Psalm 45:1,
“My heart overflows with a good theme, I address my verses to the king; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer”,
to call me to write for Him – to become His ready writer, and to write about the themes that were on His heart. I felt totally inadequate for the task ahead – and still do – because I don’t see myself as an accomplished writer. Then the Lord made it very clear to me that His first priority was my availability, not my ability. He would prefer an average writer who wrote for Him, over an amazing writer with eyes only on money and fame.
A few months later, we survived Black Saturday, one of the worst Bushfire Disasters in the history of Australia. Our small fellowship was dramatically impacted, and our lives were thoroughly turned upside down. Then opportunities to use my writing, as a way of contributing to the recovery, opened up. Initially, it was words to comfort and encourage faith in the shadow of such devastation. A couple of messages reflected on the issues of suffering, complacency and not being prepared. In late 2009, I began writing short articles for our local community monthly magazine, on behalf of our church – this continues on in 2018. I can say ‘Much has been accomplished’, over the last nine years, and at the same time also say, ‘There is much, much more to be done”.
Opportunities to write for Jesus are everywhere, if ‘getting paid’ is not your first priority.
We ought to use our gift within the church for the benefit of the body, but the great commission remains the central mandate of the Church. Gone are the days when you could simply type up a sermon and get it printed in the local paper, but there is always room for stories and reflections that can bring hope to the unchurched. Writing for Jesus is about encouraging and equipping God’s people in the church, but it also about connecting with those who have drifted away from the church or never been part of it. We don’t have to preach but we can all tell stories and let the listeners discover the point – just like Jesus often did with His parables.
To write for Jesus is to be concerned both with Ministry and Mission.