A Grateful Life Lived

1. Pray

Anytime I sit down to write, I begin by praying: “God, give me the Words you want me to write.” It’s a simple prayer, but an important one. The platform of a writer shouldn’t be taken lightly, especially when you’re writing about faith. This doesn’t mean everything you write needs to be serious or deep, but it doesn’t mean you should take it seriously.

You’ll notice that my writing schedule is not incredibly consistent. Sometimes I post multiple times a week. Other times, I don’t post for a month. This is why. I want this blog to be Holy Spirit led. If my thoughts and words aren’t led by Him, then You most likely won’t see them published here.

2. Write with Wisdom in Mind

Ready for my biggest piece of advice for Christian writers? Here it is: This is not your diary. That sounds harsh, but it’s a very important truth to understand. Personally, I have committed to using this blog as a means to encourage others with the hope of Christ. That means that what I write should contain hope. There is definitely a time and place for vulnerability, but I caution you to exercise wisdom in what you share. It is better to be vague than to cause a brother or sister to stumble in their faith.

3. Be Patient in Posting

This goes hand in hand with Tip #2: Don’t just write something up and press “Publish.” As a writer for Lord, you have a responsibility to your readers. Take your ministry seriously and avoid publishing anything in the heat of the moment or when you are overcome with emotions of any kind. My personal rule is to wait at least a day. That allows for grammatical revision as well as content revision. Sometimes, I will re-read what I wrote and realize that a particular aspect of it does not come across as helpful or glorifying to the Lord, so I chop it.

4. It’s Okay to Revise!

Even after you publish, don’t be afraid to go back and take a look at what you have written. This is particularly important if you’ve received feedback that’s at odds with your purpose of writing.

5. Check Your Pride

Even as you seek to glorify God with your writing, the enemy will come in and try to distract you from that mission. He will draw your eyes to all the comments you get or the stats on your page views. Expect and prepare for this temptation by spending time in the Word and in prayer, asking God to guard your heart from pride of sinful desires. The good news is that the more you are tuned in to the Holy Spirit as a writer, the more readers will see that the words you publish are not your own. They are too powerful, to beautiful, to be from your imperfect mind.

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I hope these tips will help you as you seek to honor the Lord with your writing. I’m also curious to know: What advice would you add?