How To Write A Story For God’s Glory

How To Write A Story

Like most things in life, writing has its up’s and its down’s. It is challenging, frustrating, and yet awfully rewarding. Just so you know, there is nothing new under the sun, even when it comes to writing.

King Solomon loved to write. He was inspired by God to pen most of the book of Proverbs. He studied, collected, toiled and wrote down hundreds of proverbs. Why did he do it? Because he cherished wisdom for all she’s worth.

“To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion—a wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, to understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” – Proverbs 1:2-7

But old King Solomon also knew that words can be the very reflection of vanity if they are not eternal words. He also wrote,

“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” – Ecclesiastes 1:2

Yet even here—in the midst of a world plagued by vanity and meaningless and a heart set on rebellion—Solomon knew the power that words can wield. Words possess a strength that is unimaginable. Well-crafted words can bind up the brokenhearted and set the captives free. They can move mountains, start wars, and put an end to them all.

Yes, the quill is mightier than the sword.

At the conclusion of Ecclesiastes, Solomon penned strong and  inspirational words to all who find solace in the finished page. He wrote,

“And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs. The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth. The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.”  – Ecclesiastes 12:9-12

But wait! You’re not putting ink to parchment because it is vanity and all is vanity, are you? Perish the thought! No, you’re writing because there is a fire that burns deep within. You are writing because you have a message to share which is a message about Someone, not merely an idea. For if Jesus Christ is anything (and He is everything!) at all, He is certainly more than an idea. He is the very Word become flesh.

You write because you want others to know about the Lord. He is Lord of all and—if God so wills it to be so—you are prepared to be His hands rolling across the page, bleeding ink and grammar and punctuation and why? Because God called you to write, that’s why.

The apostle John knew how to write a story about Jesus. There are four books in the Bible that bear his name, and Jesus used him to pen His Revelation as well. He walked with Jesus and talked with Jesus so, surely, he wouldn’t need to write about Him often too, would he? But he did. He wrote and he wrote and he wrote, because he knew someone would read. They would read about his Lord and then they’d believe in his Lord.

And that’s also why you write.

If John knew anything about writing, he knew that the world could never have enough writings about Jesus. The Man is to wonderful for just a small collection to define. No, the world needs libraries full of words that declare His goodness and His salvation, for the Lord is still at work even today.

Countless millions of souls have been redeemed from the pits of Hell because our God—Jesus Christ!—lives to save. It was for that reason and that reason alone that the apostle John continued to write. John was a Son of Thunder in his youth but became the disciple of love in his autumn years. And even Father Time was no match to wrestle the quill from his tender grasp.

John knew there was still much to be written about the One who is the Alpha and the Omega. There are blog posts yet to be written and eBooks still to be published. There are memoirs and letters and emails and text messages, all declaring the mighty deeds of what Jesus has done for us. Yes, that’s why you write. That’s why you type away at your computer… because people need to know. They need to read about Jesus.

The apostle John wrote the following at the end of his Gospel:

“This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.” – John 21:24-25

Keep writing, Christian, and don’t ever stop. There are millions of libraries yet to be filled with the books that will be written about the One who has done “many other things.”

Yes, that’s why you write. That is how to write a story that will last.

QUESTION: Why do you write and what do you hope happens (in this life and the next) because of your writing?

* Image credit: ashley rose, (Creative Commons)