What if the words you write today could impact someone’s faith years from now? Your words hold a potential legacy that could ripple through generations.
Recently, my daughter noticed the notes I’ve written in the margins of my Bible and asked if she could inherit it one day. She said she’d value reading how God’s Word affected my heart and life. Talking about who gets my things when I die feels a little strange—I’m only in my 40s! But it made me think about how precious written words can be.
Fifty years from now, what treasured truths might she glean from those Bible scribbles? Our written words—even the private, messy kind—can become part of a Christian writing legacy.
The Lasting Power of the Written Word
Where would we be without the writings of Martin Luther, John Bunyan, Charles Spurgeon, or Dietrich Bonhoeffer? How would our world be different if Anne Frank had never written her Diary of a Young Girl while hiding from the Nazis?
Anne’s diary has been translated into over 70 languages, adapted for stage and screen, and continues to influence readers decades after its original publication. It inspired me to start my first diary in sixth grade—a small step that eventually led me to a writing career.
I wonder how many other lives have been impacted by her words. Probably millions.
Other written words have shaped me, too:
- Picture books that introduced me to beauty and truth
- Novels that challenged my thinking and grew my compassion
- Notes from friends that encouraged my faith
- Study notes that helped me retain what I’d learned
- Books that stirred my love for Jesus and inspired me to write
Can you think of written words that have deeply impacted you?
A Biblical Call to Write Things Down
God values the written word. All throughout Scripture, He chose writing as a way to preserve and share truth.
Here are just a few examples:
- God commanded Moses to write the Law as a permanent record for his people (Exodus 17:14; 24:4; Deuteronomy 31:9, 24).
- He instructed John to write down his vision and share it with others (Revelation 1:11, 19).
- He told the prophets to write his words as a testimony for future generations (Habakkuk 2:2; Isaiah 30:8; Jeremiah 30:2; Ezekiel 24:2).
- God inspired Paul to write letters that would become a foundation of the early Church and nearly half of the New Testament.
For these biblical authors, writing wasn’t optional; it was God’s method of sharing and preserving his message. A call from God to write is more than a personal act—it’s often a sacred responsibility to glorify God and benefit his people.
The Bible itself is a testimony to the power of writing. God chose to reveal himself to all of humanity through the written word. It’s through the obedience of faithful writers—empowered by the Holy Spirit—that we know God today.
Why Your Writing Matters
As Christian writers today, we have a message to declare, truth to preserve, and beauty to share. For us, writing is an act of stewardship of the gifts and insights God has given us, and a powerful way to reflect God to the world around us. After all, he created creativity, and he’s an author, too (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 12:2)!
Whether you write blog posts, journals, notes to friends, devotionals, personal prayers, or even books, your words matter. God can use your writing to teach, remind, and encourage others in truth. Your written words can leave a spiritual legacy.
Even if you keep your writing private, it can still clarify truth and deepen your relationship with God.
Start Your Legacy Today
Have you ever considered your writing as a legacy of faith?
What if God uses your journal entries, your prayers, your essays, or your story to shape someone else’s faith—just like he’s used the writings of others to shape yours?
Take a moment right now to write something down. It doesn’t have to be profound—just true. Preserve a glimpse of God’s work in your life.
Because the words you write today could have a lasting impact.
What’s one thing God has shown you that you can write down today?
This post originally appeared as Write It Down: The Biblical Call to Preserve and Share Truth on my Wield The Word Substack in May 2025.
