As a Christian writer, you’ve probably wrestled with the question of calling. Am I called by God to write, or is it just my own selfish desire? We want to know God’s will because we want to obey God’s will, but what is God’s will for us when it comes to writing?
We wish there was a verse in the Bible that says, “Jana Carlson [insert your own name here], God wants you to write!” But that verse doesn’t exist, so we keep wondering and waiting and hoping for the seemingly elusive answer.
But the Bible tells us that God’s will is not a mystery. We don’t have to hunt for hidden clues to solve the riddle of His call on our lives. James 1:5 says God gives us wisdom liberally when we ask for it. He wants to give us wisdom when we seek His will.
The Bible is God’s revealed will. Everything we need to know to live the life God wants us to live is in this Book (2 Peter 1:3). So, maybe we don’t need to wait for a burning bush like Moses. Maybe the call to write for God’s glory is simpler than that. Maybe we’re overthinking it.
How to Identify God’s Call
Consider this: As spring approaches, do you ask, “Has God called me to plant a garden?” Most people don’t ask that. They just do it. What’s wrong with planting a garden, right? If you have the time, space, and resources to plant a garden, go ahead and plant a garden! No need to overthink it!
David Mathis, a Christian author I deeply admire, outlines three questions or categories to help identify a calling.
- Do I desire it? This is aspiration. Do you enjoy writing?
- Has God gifted me for it? This is affirmation, and it sometimes comes from others. Have others recognized and/or encouraged your writing skill?
- Has God opened the door? This is opportunity. It’s better to join the work God is already doing than to try to create your own opportunity from scratch.
Questions like these three serve as helpful guidelines for discerning God’s will for how we steward our time, talent, and treasure for the glory of God.
Remember, God has given us what we need to walk in wisdom. Not every decision is explicitly addressed in the Bible, so we have a certain amount of freedom on matters like these to discover God’s will by stepping out in faith. Often, as we step out in faith by walking through open doors, God reveals His will for us “supernaturally naturally”.
Today, I can confidently say that God has called me to write for His glory, but I didn’t always know that for certain. There was never a specific moment of revelation that finally clarified God’s call on my life to write.
How I Became a Writer
I’ve loved writing since I first learned to print the alphabet in kindergarten. As a child, I wrote stories and poetry for fun. I relished my high school English assignments. My mom often encouraged me to write a book. I secretly loved the idea and dreamed about seeing my writing published, but I never allowed myself to linger in that fantasy for long—I wasn’t sure it was God’s will for me.
When blogs were born in the early 2000s, I started one as a hobby. I posted every day and developed a significant following. I didn’t think much about it. I just did it because I enjoyed writing and I was intrigued by this new online writing medium.
But as blogs grew in popularity, and as mine, in particular, became more demanding, I began to neglect my responsibilities as a wife and mom. My love of writing became an idol. After much prayer and eventual submission to the Lord, I gave up my blog and set writing aside to get my heart and home in order.
Over the next ten years, God brought our family through a long season of continuous trials and trauma. Through it all, He taught me a lot about Himself through His Word. I got the itch to write again because I sincerely wanted to share with others what God had done, how He had revealed Himself to me, and what I had learned.
But I didn’t want to fall into the sinful habits of my past, failing to love my family and put their interests before my own, so I just waited and prayed.
In the meantime, God provided me with part-time data entry work for a neighbor who ran a small business. She recognized my skill in written communication and suggested I experiment with blogging on her business website. I couldn’t believe it! God had not only opened a door for me to write again but was also providing for us financially through it!
Eventually, my boss began to refer others to me, and I became busy writing for other businesses. I quit my job and became a full-time freelance writer in 2017.
That same year, I started my own blog as an outlet for writing what I hoped would be words that explicitly glorify God. This led to an opportunity to write articles and devotionals for online ministries, some of which were eventually published in a book (to my genuine surprise!).
Today, I still write full-time for a few clients, ministries, and my own website; mentor other writers in various contexts; and serve as a coordinator and editor for our church blog.
An Invitation to Write for God’s Glory
My encouragement to you is this: If you enjoy writing, if you desire to write for God’s glory, if your gift of writing has been affirmed and you have the opportunity to do it, then write! Don’t overthink it. Don’t predetermine what the end result should be or what “success” will look like for your work. Just follow God’s lead day by day and be faithful with what He’s put in front of you.
David Mathis also says, “Writing is not the privilege of a few gifted Christian dignitaries, but an invitation to every believer.” An invitation! How exciting! How will you respond to the invitation?
8 Responses
Hi Jana,
Thanks so much for this encouragement. I have known that writing in some form is my calling my whole life. It is only recently that the idea of a Christian Blog site has come about. I have been obedient to what I believe The Lord has led me to, and started the blog site. But now my struggle is the insecurities of whether I’ll be good enough or if I’m doing it “right”. Another struggle is being vulnerable enough to share my personal story on the site, I feel it’s definitely a testimony people need to hear, but again the insecurity. Please pray for me as I pray for you and Thanks so much again for your obedience and encouragement.
The fear of failure and the struggle with imposter syndrome is so common among writers! These are also issues some of our heroes in the Bible struggled with! A key to overcoming these things is to remind ourselves that God equips us to do what He’s called us to do. On our own, we WILL fail and we are NOT good enough, BUT GOD is able. It is He who does the work, by His Spirit, of ministering to the hearts of our readers. Abide in Him, my new writing friend! And thank you so much for reading, taking the time to leave a comment, and praying for me! What a blessing!
Thank you Jana for motivating, inspiring, and helping us. I was struggling right now and I am super grateful that God led me here to your website. I am convinced now to write a book about my journey. Thank you to you and God. I did not mean to brag. I am just grateful so much and this is in my heart. May God bless you more and continue inspiring you more.
Thank you for your comment, Kent! I’m praising the Lord along with you that he used this post to help you. May he bless and guide you as you write your story for his glory!
Jana, thanks for your blog post.
Thank you for reading, Mark!
What if you have done a children’s picture book. I also wrote two booklets on sharing God’s Word and what He has taught me. I have not seen any fruit from these books. No one has said anything about them touching lives or being saved from them. That’s the only reason I want to write it’s all for His glory.
I am working on my Widows memoir, but because of this. I want to give up. I am an 81 year old widow and I always wanted to write, but if is not touching lives, I should just give it up.
Oh, Rebecca. I understand your discouragement. I, too, have struggled with the sense that I’m wasting my time and energy when it seems my work produces no desirable result. I’ve found a shift in perspective on “success” to be invaluable. In God’s eyes, our obedience to him is success. Our role is faithfulness, and his role is producing the fruit. When we think of our writing as sowing seeds, we can rest in the knowledge that the harvest is up to God.
Also, when our writing is motivated by a desire to bless others and glorify God, we must remember the worthiness of our efforts. We can pray along with Moses in Psalm 90, “Establish the work of our hands,” a cry for eternal significance from our endeavors. This mindset helps us to endure the sacrifice regardless of the results.
One last word of encouragement: I highly recommend finding a community of other Christian writers and becoming an active participants. We all need continual encouragement, and I trust you would receive support through connections with others who walk the same road.
Hang in there, Rebecca! God sees and he delights in you!