Today I am featuring a guest post written by my dear friend, A.M. Watson, the blogger behind Seeking the Timeless Anchor. Convicting and filled with truth, this is an article every Christian writer needs to read.
About A.M.
A.M. Watson is a Christian, patriot, and homeschool graduate with a passion for history, photography, and writing. When she’s not writing, you can find her delving into military fiction, listening to the coyotes howl and the wind rustle through the prairie grass, or playing with her nephews. In everything she does, A.M. seeks to honor Christ and espouse and protect the values our nation is built upon.
To learn more about A.M., check out her blog, Seeking the Timeless Anchor.
Guest Post
Being a Christian writer in today’s world is not for the faint of heart. Writers are being inundated with pressure to fit in with our culture—perhaps more so than at any other time in history. We are being told to be less “preachy”, less “judgemental”, and more focused on getting along with the world.
But the problem is that God’s Word brings division. Christ Himself warned us of that.
“Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:”
Luke 12:51
There is a never-ending battle between God’s Word and the vain philosophies of this world. We are not called to fellowship with the darkness of this world, but rather to expose the darkness for what it is through the power of the Light of the World living inside us.
Yet Christian writers are being told that in order to make it in the world of writing we must set aside our morals, our standards, and our ideals. We must shut our mouths about our beliefs and simply give our readers an entertaining story that will make them feel good.
In response to this onslaught of lies, I have a question for you.
What is your purpose in writing? What is your goal?
Many of us would admit that we would love to have our books and stories “go places”. What writer doesn’t dream of having a loyal fan base of readers who adore their writing? Let’s be honest—we’ve all been there.
So then let me ask you this—what are you willing to sacrifice to achieve that?
I’ve read my fair share of Christian books throughout my life. Growing up, Mom spent a lot of effort trying to find books that were clean and worthy of placing in the hands of her children. My siblings and I were bookworms who would devour any book she gave us. You know what we found was often the case though? A lot of lukewarm religious ideals thrown in a book and labeled as “Christian”. They were clean books that were for sure better than what most kids read. But many of them had no depth other than perhaps the historical educational benefits. It drove us nuts!
Have you ever wondered why this problem is so prevalent? Why can’t there be an author who would actually write a story interwoven with strong Biblical truths and bold stances on subjects that need to be addressed? Why are there very few books heavily laced with God’s Word?
I’ll give you the answer. It’s because Christian authors and writers are being attacked with the false pretense that their biggest fear should be being too “preachy” in their book. That is a lie from the Devil and could not be farther from the truth.
Christian authors and writers are being attacked with the false pretense that their biggest fear should be being too “preachy” in their book.
Our biggest fear as Christian writers should be failing to be “preachy” enough! Our biggest fear should be someone walking away from our book spiritually unchanged and unchallenged. We should fear losing an opportunity to plant the seed of God’s Word in our readers’ minds.
Sometimes it’s hard to take a firm stand in our writing, because we want to be accepted. That’s part of our human nature. But what are we willing to sacrifice on the altar of acceptance? Are we willing to waste an opportunity to use our gift for God’s glory?
Who gives us our talents? It certainly isn’t of our own selves. If we have any talent as writers, it was given to us by our Creator. He doesn’t give us talents just so we can waste them on temporal things. We are to use them to further His kingdom and bring honor to His name.
All of the wealth and prestige of this world is going to burn one day. One nanosecond into eternity and none of it will matter. We will be wishing that we had used our talents for Him far more than we did.
Our writing is included in that! The Bible tells us, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
It goes on to say, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
Even our words are important. Writing is putting words on paper. That means that when we write something, we should be doing it for the Lord.
I’ve always said, at the end of the day the question has to be asked of Christian writers, what do you wish to accomplish through your writing? Fluff and watered-down material will wither and pass away without ever having impacted a soul. In the end, when we stand in eternity, what will have mattered: to have written a best selling book that was “clean”—possibly religious at best, or to write a book filled with spiritual truths, God’s Word, and material that will spiritually impact those who read it?
What eternal value does our work provide? Are we so consumed with prestige and fame that we would rather that than impact a soul for glory? Are we so concerned about someone thinking our novel is too “preachy” that we would risk losing an opportunity to share the gospel with someone who would read it?
To finish this thought, I want to share the lyrics to a song that I think applies so well to this topic.
“All want their lives to count for something,
To leave their mark when life is through,
But vain pursuits will come to nothing,
Time will erase what e’er we do.
I want my life to count for Jesus!
For earthly things will quickly fade.
No need to add to worldy riches,
I only seek eternal gain.
Inside my heart there burned a question.
What was I placed on earth here for?
It truly was to build a kingdom,
Not of my own but of the Lord’s.
I want my life to count for Jesus!
For earthly things will quickly fade.
No need to add to worldy riches,
I only seek eternal gain.”
~To Count for Jesus
Everyone’s life will leave behind a legacy of some kind. What will yours be?
Are you so busy seeking to achieve that best-selling-author title that you will sacrifice eternal gain for it? Are you so afraid of being labeled as a “preachy” writer that you would be willing to let your work be worthless in light of eternity?
I don’t know about you, but I want my life to count for Jesus. I want everything I do to hold eternal value—including my writing!
It begins with being Holy Spirit filled when we sit down to write. Let Him guide you, and fill your writing with godliness. When the ages of time have rolled away and we are looking on the face of our Savior, only what was done for Christ will last.
When the ages of time have rolled away and we are looking on the face of our Savior, only what was done for Christ will last.
A. M. Watson
Hebrews 13:8
Isn’t that post convicting? It brings to mind Matthew 6:24: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.“
What are your thoughts about A.M.’s post? Have you followed her blog yet? If not, be sure to. It is a treasure trove of historical facts and articles.
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