Why It Is a Privilege to Be a Godly Writer

I don’t mean that it’s only a privilege to be writer here at Godly Writers. That it is. But I’m talking about something greater, about a bigger lesson learned from the Apostle Paul, arguably the most influential writer of all time.

A godly writer has a privilege we all too easily forget. Paul put it like this:

“We are God’s fellow workers.”

We get to work with God. I find that simple statement to be simply amazing.

He doesn’t say that we are God’s slaves, His field hands, or even His proofreaders. But co-workers. The image is one of laboring alongside the Almighty, shoulder to shoulder in the field to build up His people. It brings to my mind the image of being down in the trenches with God each day — and sometimes, let’s face it — that’s what it feels like. Other times, it’s as if we’re carving exquisite ivory that will enchant as a thing of beauty forever. But we’re always with Him.

What We Take for Granted

I know I’m dating myself a bit with this memory, but I recall the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles that aired back in the 1990’s. The show followed a young Indian Jones as he journeyed around the world with his parents, meeting such luminaries as Hemingway, Picasso, and even more infamous figures such as Eliot Ness. He seemed to meet everyone who was anyone at the time, from presidents to painters, all the while unaware of the privileged childhood he experienced.

I think that, all too often, we writers can be like young Indy. Privileged but unaware.

Think about it, when God created the universe, what did he use? Words. When God brought us into existence, what did He use? Words. When he wanted to reveal Himself to His creation what did he choose as the medium? Words. Even Jesus himself, the incarnate God, is called the Word. God chose to use words to do his greatest work. And we get to work alongside Him using — you got it — words.

Can there be many higher privileges than this? As J.R.R. Tolkien put it, we are “sub-creators” taking the gift of language God has created and then sub-fashioning it with ever more skill to reveal the fullness of the One who labors with us.

So What’s It Like?

For those who have worked alongside Presidents or other famous historical figures, a question often asked by biographers is, “So what was it like to work alongside __________?” For us, the question should be the same at the end of each day. So what was it like to work alongside the Almighty wordsmith today? What did you learn from Him? How did you enrich His fields? And did anyone notice a difference?

When the disciples spent time alongside Jesus, people could tell.

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)

Something miraculous takes place when we spend time laboring alongside Him, whether it’s in the trenches, fields, or at our keyboards.

Whenever you feel discouraged about writing, remember the privilege you have been given as a godly writer, a co-laborer with your Creator. Try this answer the next time someone asks who you work with:

I work with the Creator and Sustainer of all life, the Author and Finisher of all faith, the all-knowing, all-powerful Master of all art, the Writer of all history, the Source of all wisdom, truth and knowledge, the epitome of love, care, and compassion. And I’m just getting started.

If that’s not enough of a privilege to motivate your writing today, I don’t know what will.

QUESTION: What do you believe is the greatest privilege to being a Christian writer?

 *Image credit: xbolotax (Creative Commons)