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As imaginative writers, many things inspire us: sunsets,
mountains, romantic candlelight. Maybe it’s a memory of our childhood, a
nightmare, or our latest trip to the mall. We're constantly people watching,
thinking up new plot lines, creating “what if” scenarios in our minds.
We go to conferences to learn the logistics of fashioning a
book,meeting agents or networking with publishers. We spend valuable time on group emails, building an online platform, and gathering friends on Facebook. There’s nothing wrong with doing these things. It’s part of
the job. We need to be the best that we can be and fellowship with
other writers to feel inspired, encouraged or validated.
Sometimes, though, we look too hard for inspiration, when as Christians, we have it inside of us. Sadly, we may forget it’s there, or worse, ignore it.
Job was someone in the Bible who got a lot of advice. He was
surrounded by “encouraging” nay sayers who shared their expert opinions: “Quit!
Give up! Die!”
But Job knew where to look for inspiration. He knew Who to
listen to:
“But there is a spirit
in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding. Great men are not
always wise: neither do the aged understand judgment” (Job 8 & 9, KJV).
As writers
in these last days, we need to work smart, not hard. It’s tempting to take the
hard road of going to and fro picking up tidbits here and there. We can wear
ourselves out being afraid we might miss some morsel of a publishing secret or
writing trend, when all we need to do is get quiet and listen.
To Him.
“What is it you want to say today, Lord? What words do you want on this page?”
I wonder
sometimes—do we hurt the Holy Spirit’s tender feelings when we ignore His
ideas? His inspiration? How would we feel if we were telling someone the
perfect way to succeed but they never took our advice? What makes us think we
have better ideas than God?
I am often inspired by thoughtfulness, grief, and the spirit
of the overcoming soul. Courageous athletes, cancer survivors, pianists playing
Rachmaninoff—these folks receive my awe and attention. But I must remember that
my most powerful inspiration comes from the Holy Spirit. He knows better than
anyone what needs to be written. He knows better than anyone Who needs a
message that God has put me on this planet to write.
He longs to inspire us. He patiently waits for us to listen.
All we need do is follow Job’s example, and obey. Obeying His voice is much
better than all the sacrifices we make going hither and yon for inspiration. For
it is written: “…to obey is better than sacrifice…”(1
Samuel 15:22).
You are absolutely right. I am continually reminded when my vision falls short of God Himself. We live in a world often much too small. God is BIG and invites us into His world.
ReplyDeleteGreat encouragement - go to the source. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteThis is so true. What a lovely post. Thanks Karla!
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, Karla! Our gift of writing is from God, to be used for His Glory, so I need to remember to look to him every step of the way--including every time I sit in front of the computer to write! Blessings to you, Karla!
ReplyDeleteKarla,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this excellent post. One quote I've heard is that God's work done God's way will never lack God's provision. The same can be true about writing. If we seek His leading and our obedient to it and give our diligence to it (and the diligence includes our craft in writing), God will make sure it does what He desires it to.
Jeff Reynolds