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| C. Kevin Thompson |
Our pastor, preaching on Matthew 26 recently, mentioned that
when we sin, it usually happens when we are alone. That’s when the decisions
are made. That’s when the actions are carried out.
He gave the example of verses 69-75. Confronted by a young
girl about his relationship with Jesus, Simon Peter fell into the sin of
denying His Savior…when he was by himself. James, John, Matthew, and the rest
of the disciples were not around.
It made me think about King David. As he stood on that roof,
watching Bathsheba bathe. There was nobody there to grab him by the shoulders
and shake him into his right mind.
The same goes for the believer in Christ, our pastor said, who
falls prey to temptation. Like porn, for instance. Nobody watches it while the
family is in the same room.
Or what about the person who “cooks the books” of a successful
business in order to bilk Uncle Sam out of tax revenue or drive up the stock
price? This person probably is not going to share this with the rest of the
company’s employees or stockholders.
The point is, our most egregious sin usually occurs when
we think nobody is watching.
Sadly, what an affront to God that is.
Acting like He’s not around.
And that may be the most appalling part of it all.
***
So, what’s this got to do with writing?
As writers, we may commit similar sins, probably often do,
when we are alone.
For example, when the mail arrives, and the rejection letter
tells us our work isn’t good enough. So, we sit in our office with the computer
monitor staring at us…fully engrossed in a pity party, questioning God’s call
on our life….and everything to do with this writing life…
Or when life happens, and we resent our family members, our
neighbors, our colleagues, or even strangers because their unscheduled visit or
catastrophe has impinged upon our writing time.
Or when we finally get what we have prayed for (a contract, a
slew of good reviews, you fill in the blank here), and it suddenly isn’t enough
anymore.
We may “discuss” (because complaining is a sin, too) the
rejection letter with our friends, but we don’t discuss our lack of faith or
sequestered anger. We just want them to tell us how brain dead that editor who
rejected us must be.
We may tell those we love how much we adore them, but we never
tell them how frustrated we are when they show up in the middle of a hard
deadline…although it may come out in our actions.
We may be thankful for that first contract or that great
review from a notable entity that is certain to boost our platform prospects,
but we’d never admit to anyone that’s really not enough to make us feel
fulfilled.
Yet, is God watching when we get that letter from the editor?
Is He there when the family members unexpectedly show up? Does He even care
about your contracts, reviews, or your overall career?
Of course He is.
Of course He does.
But He also gave us each other.
To help us focus on the bigger picture.
In Acts 2:42-47, you have the blueprint, the prescription for
how to be the Church. Nowhere in those verses do you find anyone doing anything
alone.
And there’s a reason for that.
We’re
less likely to sin when we are together, provided we are truly living for
Christ (which was our pastor’s point).
In the world of Christian writing, there are a myriad of ways
to connect with other writers, readers, and those within Christian publishing.
Between critique groups, writers conferences, online groups, church groups, and
social media, there has never been a time where connecting with someone has
been easier.
If you’ve ever been to a good conference, been a part of a
great writers critique group, or simply meet a fellow believer for coffee and
shared your lives as followers of Jesus, you know how uplifting and energizing
it can be. Especially when we help each other, pray for one another, and do all
the other “one anothers” mentioned in the New Testament.
There are twenty-four “Marks of Christian Fellowship” besides
those found in Acts 2:42-47. I challenge you to read through these verses,
spending some time within their own contexts. I think you’ll see how applicable
they are to you as a writer (and obviously as a believer in Christ).
I think you’ll also find that offending God will be much more
difficult in the future.
The Marks
of Fellowship
Mark 9:50
John 13:34-35
John 15:12, 17
Romans 12:10, 16
Romans 13:8
Romans 15:7
Galatians 5:13
Galatians 6:2
Ephesians 4:2
Ephesians 4:32
Colossians 3:13
Colossians 3:16
1 Thessalonians 4:9, 18
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Hebrews 3:13
Hebrews 10:24-25
James 5:16
1 Peter 1:22
1 Peter 3:8
1 Peter 4:9-10
1 Peter 5:5
1 John 3:11, 23
2 John 5
A
Clandestine Mission. A Cryptic Message. A Chaste Promise.
Blake
Meyer dreamed of a peaceful end to a dutiful career with the FBI. Married now,
his life was taking him in a new direction—a desk job. He would be an analyst.
Ride it out until retirement. Be safe so he could enjoy family life.
But when
a notable member of the IRA is murdered in his London flat, Blake's secretive
past propels him into the middle of an international scheme so twisted and
sadistic, it will take everything Blake possesses—all of it—to save the United
States from a diabolical terrorist attack.
C. KEVIN
THOMPSON is a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a kid at heart.
Often referred to as “crazy” by his grandchildren, it’s only because he is.
He’s a writer. Need he say more?
The first three books of his Blake Meyer Thriller series are
out! Book 1, 30 Days Hath Revenge,
Book 2, Triple Time, and Book 3, The Tide of Times, are now available!
Book 4, When the Clock Strikes Fourteen,
is coming soon! Also, the second edition
of his award-winning debut novel, The
Serpent’s Grasp, is now available!
Kevin is a huge fan of the TV series 24, The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, and Criminal Minds, loves anything to do with Star Trek, and is a Sherlock Holmes fanatic, too. It’s quite
elementary, actually.
