As writers, we write for an audience. We want to be read by the masses. As Christian writers, another important reason we write is to influence others for the cause of Christ. In today’s challenging market, with so many books being published by so many authors, the goal of having our work read by a large audience can be a daunting one. The competition is fierce for every pair of eyes.When you aren’t reaching as many people as you would like with your writing, or when your investment of time, effort, and money isn’t giving you the return you had hoped it would, you can end up being discouraged. It is in those times that you need to have the proper perspective if you are to persevere.
I’m reminded of the story of a young boy who went to listen to an itinerant preacher – a guy named Jesus. The boy had brought his lunch with him. It wasn’t a huge lunch, just five small loaves of bread and two fishes. But then he saw a need. There were thousands of people who had come just as he had – only they hadn’t brought any lunch for themselves, and they were hungry.
This young man overheard some of the adults talking. He heard this guy named Jesus say, “You give them something to eat,” to his followers. The followers looked at the huge crowd and were unsurprisingly astonished at Jesus’ request.
The little boy wasn’t sure if what he had to bring to the table would help all that much, but he wanted to do something. He looked down at the lunch he was about to start eating, and he looked around at the thousands of hungry people around him. And then he did something amazing. He could have simply thought, I’ll just turn to this woman sitting next to me and offer to share my lunch with her. At least that will be something. But that’s not what he thought. He thought something radically different. He thought to take his lunch and give it to Jesus. And that made all the difference. Jesus took that small offering, blessed it, and used it to feed over five thousand people.
At times on our writing journey, our influence may seem small, and the goal of being used to reach the masses with our writing may seem remote, if not downright impossible. Don’t underestimate God’s ability to take the five loaves and two fishes that we have to offer in the form of the words we have written and bless it to accomplish something amazing.
You have the ability to brighten someone’s day with your writing, to help guide them down the right path, and in the best of all possible cases, to be a part of the process that leads them to eternal life through Jesus Christ. It is a privilege and an honor.
Don’t despise the day of small beginnings (Zechariah 4:10).
Share your work.
Have faith.
Keep writing.
You have the ability to brighten someone’s day with your writing, to help guide them down the right path... #SeriouslyWrite #Faith #amwriting
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C.L. Wells is an indie author who writes in a variety of genres including murder mystery, YA, and paranormal fiction. He is the founder of Creative Writing with a Mission – an organization committed to positive creative standards and supporting worthy causes that help make our world a better place. Murder at Rendsburg Resort – the first book in the new Jill Pemberton Mystery series – is available now for pre-order on Amazon.com. The ebook version is scheduled for release on August 26, 2019 and is also available in paperback. To learn more about C.L.’s books or about Creative Writing with a Mission, visit www.fictionwithamission.com.