A Divided Heart by Susan Tuttle

I was reading 2 Kings 17 recently, and it reminded me of how many times Israel tried to serve God with a divided heart, and it never worked. They refused to tear down the high places and wondered why they remained ensnared in sin. That phrased “divided heart” kept resonating in me in regards to writing.

See, I don’t care if your books are CBA or ABA because I fully believe God gives us the borders of our territory and the people within that he desires us to reach. But what does matter is what you’ve built within those borders. Israel constantly lost their witness because they repeatedly fell into sin. Why? They refused to tear down the high places. They tried to serve multiple gods at once.

Friends, we can’t have anything within our territory but God. We can’t be seeking to please men with our words or content. We can’t change what we know God asked us to write to suit an agent, editor, or publishing house. And we can’t be solely seeking accolades and sales numbers. We must constantly seek him and honor him. Our focus must remain on what he’s called us to, and the message he’s given us to tell. If we try to write with a divided heart, we will lose our witness.

This is so hard in this day and age. Some of us have been called to subtly share while others can be more overt in what they write. God uses it all. It’s not the style I’m questioning, it’s the heart behind it. And the only one who knows if your heart is divided is God.

Remain close to him. Present everything you do to his all-consuming fire and see what withstands it. Make sure you are honoring him above all else. Everything else is his to manage.

 

Susan L. Tuttle lives in Michigan where she’s happily married to her best friend and is a homeschooling mom of three. She’s firmly convinced that letters were meant for words, not math, and loves stringing them together into stories that inspire, encourage, and grow women into who God created them to be. Romance, laughter, and cookies are three of her favorite things, though not always in that order. You can connect with Susan at her blog, Steps, Facebook, or Twitter.