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I’m
on the fringe of breaking a promise here. In my article last month, I
said I would teach you how to get your work into Google Books. Sorry,
but that article will have to wait. I felt led to share this editorial
with you today instead. This definitely is not aimed solely at
self-published authors. I hope even those who have been blessed with
traditional publishers will have their antennae up and be willing to
absorb any wisdom contained within these few sentences. You can find a
plethora of “mechanics manuals” that teach how to write more
effectively and professionally. While those tools should not be
ignored, there is another aspect to writing Christian fiction that
those aids usually don’t spotlight. I want to do that today.
Someone said of one of my books
that I had employed a ghost writer: the Holy Ghost. That was the
biggest compliment I could receive. It seems to me that every Christian
writer should have that goal. From what I’ve seen, many writers who
profess Christ want to do their own thing and lean on their own
understanding. Please allow me to question that approach, even for the
most talented among us. I’m convinced that God wants to let His Spirit
guide us into presenting His messages to the world.
Perhaps your first reaction is
“But I write fiction.”
“So, what’s your point?” I
respond.
“My publisher has contracted me
to write fluff that sells, so the Holy Spirit really isn’t necessary
and might get in the way of my success.”
I can’t help it. I’ve got to
say, “Perhaps your priorities are out of whack if you indeed want to
write ‘Christian’ fiction.”
Fiction may seem to be
insignificant in the big scheme of things, but storytelling presents a
subtle yet powerful means to influence people. Nutritionists espouse
the theory that we are what we eat. I can’t disagree with that on a
physical plane, but on a character/soul plane, I might rephrase that to
“we are what we read.” This is perhaps particularly true of children,
whose value systems are extremely malleable during their coming-of-age
years. Give a kid a Harry Potter novel and they may decide they want to
become a witch. Have them read a story about prejudice, and they may
decide that hating or discrimination against people because of their
ethnicity is wrong. Present a chilling tale of a life ruined by drugs
or alcohol, and you may influence people to avoid mind-altering
substances. There is power in fiction! Harness that power and you can
help mold people into the image of the God who created them in His
image.
How do you invite the Holy
Spirit to spend time communing with you? And how do you sensitize your
ears to hear that small still voice? The best place to stargaze is a
location void of light, because even the comparatively dim lights of
the city filter out the magnificent glory of a distant star. In the
world, the interference from human voices and other activities of puny
humans will block your perspective of an awesome God. Get away to your
secret and quiet place and commune in worship and praise and dialogue
with your Creator. You can do so with your spouse or children, but the
focus must be on praising God.
Ironically, when you are not
writing may be the perfect time to prep your beautiful and inspiring
prose. When you drive, do chores around the house, or work in the yard,
listen to music that feeds your spirit. Several artists produce music
that ushers you into the presence of God. Some of the artists I listen
to are Grace Williams, Theresa Griffith, and Kim and Alberto Rivera.
When I surround myself with such music during the day, at night I dream
with that background music and I wake up with the music playing in my
head. My spirit remains close to God, and I feel like a different
person the next day, able to cope with the challenges that come my way.
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Unfortunately
I have been remiss
lately about keeping myself soaked and stoked. As a result, my
productivity has dropped off the charts. And my prayer life has slid
down that slippery slope I had ascended recently. It just dawned on me
as I type this that those three situations are directly connected. If
you’re suffering from writer’s block, perhaps you need some spiritual
fiber.
Listen to this music while
you’re composing your brilliant work of literature. When writing, the
key is to find music that does not dilute your concentration, but seeps
into your spirit and soul while dialogue, description, and plot
development flow from your brain to your fingertips. Ironically, the
music can act as a divine hearing aid that allows the voice of the
Spirit to penetrate, so you’re actually hearing on two levels as you
multitask and create fictional masterpieces.
The
Bible says that those who are led by the Spirit are the children of
God. Galatians 5:16, 25 says, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not
fulfill the lust of the flesh . . . If we live in the Spirit, let us
also walk in the Spirit” (NKJV). (For a more complete treatise on this
idea, check out http://www.bible411.org/devot/04feb4.html#25.)
If you
are walking in the Spirit, God will direct your steps, writing, and
work like a precision laser-guided bomb. The work you produce may be
read by only a few individuals, but if you help bring even one person
to the eternal kingdom of God, will it not be worth it?
I’m often discouraged that my
work goes under the radar of most of the world, but I keep coming back
to the concept that the world is changed one life at a time, and maybe
I’ve been commissioned to influence only specific people. I must be
content with fulfilling the mission that God has given me. If I am
faithful in the little things, He may bless me with bigger
responsibilities. However, I must be content with my eternal rewards
instead of lamenting the lack of temporal ones. When I look at it in
that light, the quest for success pales in significance, and I am
satisfied to labor on in the shadow of the manger and the cross.
So you see why I believe that
every Christian author needs the Holy Ghost Writer to aid in his or her
writing. I’d suggest you don’t visit the keyboard without Him. Where
there is no vision, the people perish. Grab and hang on to the vision!
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