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Obedience: The Key To Writing

“It’s OK to be afraid. It’s not OK to be afraid and disobedient.” ~Chip Ingram

Yesterday I attended the Philadelphia Writers Conference held at the Philadelphia Biblical University.

I have been struggling with writing recently. So, a colleague of mine encouraged me to attend the conference even if it was just for a day.

I also have been praying about the Lord’s will and writing for some time now. The Lord has been nudging me to write, but lately I’ve been resisting and holding back.

The reason is fear.

As Christians, we are to exercise faith and not fear. But for the life of me, I have been paralyzed by fear lately.

I have been asked to guest post on several blogs and I haven’t followed through. I keep battling feelings of insecurity, inferiority and inadequacy.

Feelings are not facts and faith isn’t about feelings.

I am grateful I agreed to go to the conference because the Lord truly spoke to me. If I had not gone, I would have missed it. It was an amazing conference.

He used different people throughout the day, but conveyed the same message.

The message is this:

Writing is a gift from Him.

Writing is His ministry.

He wants to use us to bless others by writing.

He wants us to be obedient and write for Him.

Obedience is key.

He wants us to obey Him by pushing through the fear and doubts. The enemy uses fear to prevent us from fulfilling His will and our calling.

His will and our calling is to serve Him by writing.

The beauty is when we leave this earth, our writing will still continue to reach and bless others.

You just never know whose life you will reach, touch or change in years to come.

Yesterday I renewed my commitment to serve the Lord by writing despite the fear. My desire is to obey, serve and write for His glory.

QUESTION: Have you been struggling to find the key to writing lately? Is fear or doubt preventing you from serving the Lord through your gift of writing?

* Image credit: jon davis (Creation Swap)

Comments

  1. says

    I struggle all the time. I love to write, but sometimes what to write is a big obstacle for me. I often hold back writing certain stories because they are hard to write or because I am afraid that they may not be received well. Thank you for the encouragement. Now I am going to go write! 

  2. says

    Pilar, you are correct in that fear paralyzes us to do soooooo many things, including blogging.

    It is strange that fear gets the best of us when wonderful opportunities (like guest posting at other blogs) fall into our lap, thanks to God.

    You wrote this above: “As Christians, we are to exercise faith and not fear.” I couldn’t agree with you more! 

    My favorite verse in the Bible is 2 Timothy 1:7 which reads: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

    The apostle Paul wrote this to young Timothy when he began experiencing fear when he was supposed to speak the Word publicly. It always reminds me that fear doesn’t come from God, because God gives us power, love, and self-control (sound mind).

      • says

        As a preacher of the Bible, I get nervous practically every time I am getting ready to speak. I usually recite this verse to myself several times. I remind myself that the fear (nerves or anxiety) I am feeling at that moment do not come from God. God gives me a spirit of power, love, and self-control. The nerves I feel come from myself, and are rooted in “pride.” I’m nervous because I’m concerned about what others might think. When that happens, I realize I have taken my focus off preaching God’s Word for His glory alone and put it on myself. I then pray for forgiveness and boldness to speak as I ought to.

        I am convinced that I have received both (forgiveness and boldness) immediately after each and every prayer.

        God is so good to us!

        • says

          Yes, you are right, it does stem from pride.  Sometimes it stems from experiencing an abusive past where nothing you did was ever good enough and you were put down for breathing. Unfortunately, I come from a string of various kinds of abuse.  By the grace of God, I’m trying to press through all the voices that tell me I’m worth nothing and won’t ever amount to anything good in this life.  I’m 45 now, and I’m still battling through, but by the grace of God I am trying to put one foot in front of the other and not give up.

          • says

            Keep battling, sister. God would not have you live a defeated life, in any area of your life. You have the Spirit of the living God abiding in you, and He will never leave or forsake you!

  3. says

    Great post, Pilar. I think we all encounter this at times. The key is learning to be obedient. I have found that He always knows best. When we obey and push through the fear, He will continue to bless others through us. It also helps me to know that it’s not about us. It’s about how He wants to use us to help others.

    • says

      Yes, it is a rare moment when God uses anyone who doesn’t first step out of their comfort zone. The comfort zone is comfy, but you can’t accomplish much that is truly meaningful within those boundaries.

      What I have noticed is that when I step outside my comfort zone, the comfort zone expands with my obedience. In other words, things that once made me nervous or uncomfortable have no become easier to cope with. 

      Funny how God works that out. 😉

  4. says

    A great post Pilar.

    One thing i take away from your post today is that writing is a gift from God and it’s His ministry. Sometime back, God told me that ‘He will take His message where He wants it to go’.  At that time i was anxious about readership and relevance.

    Understanding the ‘why’ and ‘Who’ behind my writing really helps me on those down days.

    Thanks for this encouragement today

  5. says

    Thank YOU Pilar for this authentic post.  I love this line –> Feelings are not facts and faith isn’t about feelings. <– I've learned that there is SO MUCH GREATNESS when I press through the "fear" even though the journey is painful.
    It's GREAT when we become aware of the truth — what a blessing you had to attend the conference!  God is FAITHFUL!  Write on…

    Keeping it Personal,
    Teri Johnson

  6. Jennifer says

    Um, you have hit the nail on the head with this post! It’s just what I needed today! I know God has called me to write and be a voice to promote adoption and orphan care, but I feel so inadequate sometimes and Satan has been whispering a lot of lies lately. Thanks for the encouragement!

    • says

      Don’t listen to that liar, he’s a big fat liar.  Go ahead and write… what a beautiful thing your doing.  Please let us what the link is to your blog. I would love to read your posts.  

  8. says

    Pilar,
    Thanks for your raw honesty. Just this morning I became depressed thinking about my writing. I am stuck. I have a general idea of what God wants me to communicate, but when it comes to thinking through a progression of thought, I am stymied. Which then creates anxiety and fear about the future. I know God has called me to write. I know He’s called me to write about my life story. But beyond that, I feel like my vision is cloudy. I also know that God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called. Your post has reminded me I must write through the fear and uncertainty. I can do All things through Christ who strengthens me!
    Blessings,
    Leigh A Hudson