You probably weren’t too surprised by the name change of this blog, but discovering spiritual gifts can be very surprising! I’m not talking about your natural writing ability or God-given talent as a writer, but more:
The people of God have spiritual gifts specifically for strengthening the people of God.
What gifts? According to I Corinthians 12, the Holy Spirit gives a whole list of gifts you might want to check out in a wide variety of translations to get a full view of what God has in mind.
Once you have identified the spiritual gift(s) you have been given, you will most likely see ways to use those gifts in your writing life. For example, a spirit of wisdom might lead you to write insightful Bible study materials, prayer-poems, devotionals, or an advice column for teens, young marrieds, or other readers with whom you identify.
A spiritual gift can also help you to identify your most likely readers. For instance, a gift of evangelism lets you know to focus on non-Christian readers in your genre of choice, depending on your personal interests. Years ago, for example, I read romance novels by the box-load then wrote inspirational romances, not with the typical plot toward a “conversion experience,” but with story people whose faith or closeness to God had ebbed then flowed back before The End.
As you use your ministry gifts to encourage and up-build God’s people, your writing may gain a new sense of purpose. This can be exciting! So feel free to tell us about your discoveries in the Comments section below. If you aren’t sure what ministry gift you have been given, Comment on that too.
May the Holy Spirit guide you as you discern your spiritual gift(s) and use your writing for the common good of all good peoples of God.
(c) 2011, Mary Harwell Sayler
12 comments:
I love your blog.
May the Holy Spirit guide us all to write beautifully and in a positive way.
Best Wishes!
Amen! And thank you so much for your affirming word.
This post was very helpful to me. I began blogging only six months ago and just began because I thought it would be fun. It has now become a part of my daily life and has come to the point where I need to decide what direction to take.
Thank you for your words!
Good to hear, Shanda. Thanks. Right after posting the article, I found myself needing to decide between good and good! I'd be very interested to hear how you and other readers know which choice to make or what deciding factors help to guide your writing projects.
Mary, enjoyed reading about the gifts God gives to us. God called me in 1985 to write for Him. I opened my Bible after praying,
"God you have been so good to me what can I do for you?" The words in Jeremiah 30:1-2 came forth as revelation. "Write every word I have spoken to you in a book." I have written 8 books and working on 9th. To God be the glory!
That's great, Judy! May God continue to bless your good work.
So glad to see that there are those who know the difference between a natural gift and a God-given gift for a specific ministry. When a home is worthy, then we're told to let our peace descend on it - and I do that here on this page for you, your ministry and for all those who visit here and who interact with you Mary. Bless you so much...
God bless you too! And thanks.
Hi Mary, you and I commented about blogs on LinkedIn and I came over to visit your blog. This post is good advice. I write for Christian and secular markets and love to reach out to people.
Please visit my blog and leave a comment.
Terra
http://terragarden.blogspot.com
Thanks, Terra. I just posted a comment that had more to do with my poetry blog - http://thepoetryeditor.blogspot.com/ - about using juxtaposition in poetry and in flowers to enliven colors and subject matter too.
Hello Mary,
I have spent so much time in prayer with regard to my purpose in life and it would be so easy if only I could receive an audible response telling me what to do.:-) Having read your article I feel even more strongly that my purpose lays in writing. I am passionate about writing and it brings me such joy and fulfillment to express myself through poetry. I realize that I have been given the gift of writing but what do I do with it? How do I use this talent for God? I am aware of the talent which I have been given but I am just not sure where to start or what it is that I am meant to be doing. I wait in anticipation for guidance from God and trust that He will reveal the way forward. Mary I am pleased that I have discovered your blog and I believe that it was not by chance. :-)
Thank you for your uplifting word, Margaret. Becoming very, very familiar with the Bible will give you a solid foundation for writing in any genre. Since you mentioned poetry, I encourage you to read Bible poetry (especially poetic in KJV) such as Psalms and Isaiah but also the works of contemporary and classical poets. Previous articles on this blog will help, too, and so will those on The Poetry Editor blog and website. Then, as with anything worthwhile, practice, practice, practice! And be sure to save and date each poem or manuscript. May God bless and guide you and your work.
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