Christians write different. Because, by the grace of Jesus Christ, we have the privilege of living in relationship with God Most High. And that changes everything.
At least, it should.
Dear friend, this subject is one that has been on my heart to share for a long time. God has been working out these truths in my life. It’s brought great change and abounding joy to my writing, and all of life!
The blog is separated into three distinct sections, each one builds on the other. I hope you will find spiritual and practical application in each part to bring greater joy to your life and writing!
The Heart of the Gospel
What is at the heart of the Gospel, truly? What is it about salvation that can completely change a person from the inside out?
Truth be told, it’s the simple, wonderful, dynamis word relationship.
Jesus invited everyone to “come!” He said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6, emphasis mine).
Paul describes the Gospel in these words: “Therefore, if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be a sin offering for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-21).
The word reconciled means to be “brought back.”
The heart of the Gospel is that God is calling all of mankind, who are created for fellowship with the Creator and have become estranged because of sin, back into relationship with Him through the blood of Jesus Christ!
Salvation is the catalyst for life with God. It is the very real action of being rescued from one kingdom and brought into another; of being snatched from the cruel hands of the father of lies and restored as a child to the Father of Truth.
So much more than a one-time audience with the King of Heaven, who offers you pardon and sends you on your merry way until death – salvation is a relational interaction, where faith in Jesus Christ brings our dead souls to life and we are ushered into the presence of God the Father to be forever in relationship with Him.
Relationship is one of the best words, especially when it’s joined to the words with God!
It means that we get to share life with God, much like we share it with our families and best friends.
What it is like to have a relationship with God has been modeled for me since I was a young girl. My parents both have a relationship with Him, and they modeled it to their children. As each of us have gotten older, my siblings and I have grown in our personal relationships with Jesus Christ.
For me, this started to form right after my homeschool graduation. I began to devote more time to reading the Word, studying Biblical words, and praying daily. Later, I studied the names of God in Scripture – finding over 100 names! – and that has solidified my relationship more than ever. I’ve gained a confidence that I know God – His heart, what He loves and abhors, how He sees me. Now that I know, without a doubt, that God hears me, sees me, wants to be near me, and will respond to me – in word and action – I am forever, completely attached to Him.
That’s really the simple key to relationships. They are about being attached to someone. Our greatest attachment can be Jesus! We can know Him – not simply a head-knowledge, but a heart-knowledge that comes from experiencing Him.
If we choose to engage with Him, Jesus is ready and waiting to have a genuine, joy-filled, grace-based relationship with you.
Why is Relationship with God Valuable in Writing?
We write from our relationships. Our attachments govern how and what we write, what is acceptable, how characters interact, and how God is portrayed. Attachments, healthy or unhealthy, guide our thought processes and desires for writing.
For instance, I’m penning a story for my youngest three sisters. We call it Crosby Tower. The story includes jokes, conversations, and circumstances that we’ve shared together. My desire to include those things is based on the attachment I have to my sisters, and the joy I want them to experience while reading the story.
Who and what we attach to governs our view of a story. If we aren’t attached to God, then – in one area or more – we will miss the mark of His heart.
Crosby Tower began over five years ago, and it was purely for fun. When I began to attach more to God, I went back and changed the entire focus of the story. Now, it revolves around the One True God, who is active and present in the daily lives of His people. My sisters and I share meetings where we talk about our spiritual journeys, and similarities to those conversations are found in the story.
Without a strong attachment to Jesus, I missed His heart for the story. With the attachment more secure, the story now reflects Him.
I’ll be honest, most people put their faith or relationship with God in a box. It’s for when they’re reading the Word or at church or witnessing. But writing is rarely seen as a time to engage with our Creator and Savior. And the result is that Christians don’t feel the need to include God in their stories, either the process or the actual story.
They don’t know what life, peace, joy, love, power, and purpose they are missing!
If you’re willing to receive it, God will be actively involved in every single detail of your life. But, He won’t shove His way into your life and demand to be acknowledged. God is love (1 John 4:8). He chooses to be with you and take action on your behalf. He wants you to choose to love Him, also.
Are you willing?
Practical Steps to Writing from Relationship with God
You may be wondering, what does writing look like when we’re attached to God? What practical things can we do to direct our hearts and minds?
Let me give you a glimpse!
In the Process
Much like we turn to family, friends, coaches, or editors for help in the writing process, we can turn to God.
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in union (relationship) with Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7).
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him” (James 1:5).
Remember how excited you were to tell your best friend that your manuscript was finished? Bring your joys and success in writings to God with thankfulness.
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).
You know how it felt to be stuck on a project and not know where you are going? Bring your sorrows or struggles to God with honesty.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble,” (Psalm 46:1).
Pray and invite God the Father into every moment. Watch it transform how you write!
In the Story
If we are in a life-giving relationship with God the Father, we’ll desire to include Him in our stories. Our attachment will require Him to be present. We will give time, thought, and prayer to how we portray Him and lead people to think rightly of Him as they read.
A story might contain:
The deeper our attachment to God, the more entrenched our stories become with Him. Because we love Him. We enjoy being with Him. And we don’t want to lose that connection for a second. In a way, it becomes an unconscious decision our brain makes, because it’s wired for relationship – primarily to God.
Penning from that relationship, our stories foundationally reflect this deep attachment – until there would be no story without God. Until it’s clear to everyone that, if God’s role were taken out of your story, it would utterly fall apart.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Give Him Credit
Often, we thank the people involved in helping us write, edit, or publish our stories by name and specify what they did to benefit us. We ought to acknowledge God in the same way!
Of course, this means that we have to be proactive about involving Him in the process and recognizing His hand in the details. How startling to think He is always with us and we think so little of Him!
“Behold! I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).
“For God has said, ‘Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you’…Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:5,8).
We should give God the credit He is due in the newsletters and updates we give, the social media posts we put up, and when we’re speaking with people in person. Talk about what He’s doing – answering prayers, giving strength, inspiring imagination, imparting wisdom, or sending help when we most need it.
“O LORD, You establish us in peace; all that we have accomplished You have done for us” (Isaiah 26:12).
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done” (Psalm 105:1).
Ultimately, writing in relationship with God is about having fellowship with Him – in the act of writing and otherwise – and penning stories that are as filled with His presence as we are in real life.
Ask God to build your relationship with Him and help you purpose to write from that shared life. Because life shared with God is the most satisfying, joy-building, meaningful, and lasting experience. We’re designed for eternity with Him, and, because of Jesus’ blood and through the Holy Spirit, we can have relationship with God our Father now!
A story that reflects this to the world should be seen as an invitation to a joyful, loving, meaningful relationship with the One we love most!
Blessed writing, friend!