Every week when Wednesday rolls around I get slightly apprehensive. It means I have about 24 hours to churn out my weekly blog. It is a self-imposed deadline that keeps me on my toes. More accurately, it keeps my fingers clicking away at a keyboard.
In 2004, I published my first blog post with a readership of two loyal fans—my parents. After twenty years of writing, I am still keenly aware of my limitations. But that is where my favourite teaching for Christian writers comes in: The strength of Christ is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
What a relief that we can depend on God in our calling as authors. Scripture points out that apart from God, we can do nothing (John 15:5). That reminder holds true for all of life, even for the craft of writing.
In my years at the keyboard, there have been numerous times when I paid lip service to God. I said, “I’ve got this,” only for my words to fall flat. But when I have taken my weakness before God and said, “Use even me,” my words have fallen on the fertile soil of people’s hearts.
As Christian writers, if we want to create content that blesses and encourages instead of merely entertains, we must understand our primary task is to abide in Christ. If writing is a ministry rather than a diversion, we must stay close to God, dig deep into the Word, and fill ourselves with the truth. Only then are we ready to pour ourselves out on the page.
While dependence on God is foundational to our craft, we should strive for excellence in everything. What are some healthy writing habits we can form to best hone our craft of writing?
Write with Consistency
Many writers suffer from what I call “cabin-in-the-woods syndrome.” These writers think they must find the “perfect setting” before they create content. They need the sun shining on them at precisely the right angle, with a babbling brook as their background track.
We do not become writers by thinking about writing.
But as Somerset Maugham famously said, “I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately, it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.” We do not need to wait for inspiration when we can read the inspired Word of God. It trains our thoughts and shapes our content.
Author and speaker Tim Challies puts it plainly when he says, “Writers write.” We do not become writers by thinking about writing. We become writers by actually writing. The craft of writing, much like one’s muscles in strength training, gets stronger with constant use. But with neglect our writing muscles atrophy.
If you struggle with consistency, schedule non-negotiable writing appointments on your calendar. Give yourself deadlines to meet. Get a little nervous. Depend on the Lord, and then write.
Write with Vulnerability
There is no question that writing is risky. This calling involves clambering up trails of awkwardness. It entails taking off protective layering to expose our struggles. It requires limping along to reveal our brokenness. But in narrating our stories, our readers can say, “Me too.”
Authenticity paves the way for connection. When we establish a deep connection with the reader, we become privileged to point them to the unshakeable, irrefutable, beautiful truth of Scripture. Relatability is an under-appreciated aspect of writing.
Authenticity paves the way for connection.
Often it is not in lecturing but in revealing that we put Jesus on display. While Christian writers need to dig deep into Scripture, we also need to dive into our own stories. We must leave margin in our days for reflection. We must carefully consider our emotions and learn to “keep it real” with our writing.
I have found that sharing the most broken parts of my life resonates with my readers. Telling these parts of my story allows us to journey toward receiving insight from the truth of the Word (Ps. 119:50, 2 Cor. 11:30, 12:9).
Write with Imperfection
If you are a writer, you have experienced the paralysing pressure of perfection. You know what it is like to stare at a blank Word document for what seems like an eternity. You shakily type out a few sentences only to backspace all of them. Then you repeat the process but later give up because you think your writing is not “good enough.”
But if we have a spiritual gift, God wants us to to fan it into a flame—even if our words seem like mere embers and ashes (2 Tim. 1:6). This is true for writers too. Practically speaking, how do we do that? Let me offer two suggestions.
Firstly, put your audience before your ambition. As with other gifts God has given you, write to bless and build up others (1 Cor. 12:7). Pray for those you intend to reach with your words. When your focus shifts from “How can I benefit from this?” to “How can I bless my reader through this?” the pressure evaporates.
If we have a spiritual gift, God wants us to to fan it into a flame.
Secondly, write for the audience of one. While this may seem contradictory to what I have said about blessing your reader, I believe it is complementary. As Christians, we are to glorify God through whatever we do, which includes our writing (Col. 3:17).
If glorifying God is front and centre of our work, we will focus more on our imperfect hearts than our imperfect prose. Having the proper perspective will redeem our writing from the pressure to “go viral,” impress others, or succumb to comparison.
God has given you a unique story. He has given you a perspective moulded by your nuanced set of experiences and a distinctive way of expressing truth. So do not neglect your gift or bury your talent. Someone out there may need to hear the words you are saying in the exact way you are saying it.
