Being a Christian. And Being a Writer. At the Same Time.
I’m not saying that that being a writer is incompatible with being a Christian. If it were, I wouldn’t be writing! There are scads of writers out there who are Christians first. And that’s what this blog is about.
That said, being a writer takes a certain commitment. There are hundreds (thousands?) of books, articles, podcasts, (blogs) and websites out there to tell you how to give writing your all, how to make it your top priority.
But as important as writing is to me, it can never be my top priority.
My first obligation is to God. If I haven’t got things squared away with Him, I might as well forget about this whole writing thing. That’s what this blog is all about–-being a Christian first, and then a writer.
The Scope of This Blog
There are many topics which may be addressed here, but all of them will have to do with Christianity, writing, or some combination of the two. Why not parenting? Or organization skills? Well, as they pertain to being a Christian and a writer, I may talk about them. But they’re not the focus of this blog.
This blog is NOT limited to a discussion of the “Christian” fiction market, although it will surely be discussed here. Many Christian writers write for the secular markets some or all of the time.
One Thing I’m NOT About
People hold many different views about how God works in their lives. I believe the Bible teaches that God works directly in my life, causing “all things to work together for good” as far as my soul is concerned. I am confident that He offers me His protection and guidance every day, so long as I seek Him and His things. But I don’t believe that He offers me inspiration in the same way he did to His apostles and prophets. He may help me in my endeavors, opening doors for me, or even sparking an idea in my mind–that’s beyond my domain to know for certain. I believe he answers prayers. But I think it’s disrespectful to assume that he’s going to write a novel for me by putting the words in my mind. I hope that all I do is to the glory of God, and I give him all due credit for every good gift in my life. But I won’t be talking about how the Lord told me to write a story.
Defining Terms
I am a Christian. I think most people would agree on the following definition:
“A Christian is someone who follows Christ.”
Really, that should be all that needs saying, but that’s not the state of the world we live in today. To be more specific about my personal beliefs, I am a Christian, and only a Christian. I wear no other denominational name.
If you would like a better idea about some of my specific beliefs, you can find teachings that mostly line up with mine at these two sites:
The Passion of the Christ Explained
- This site lays out in an easy-to-understand way the basic message of the Gospel of Christ. Contrary to its name, it’s not about the movie; it uses the movie as an entry point.
- This site has a lot of material on many topics. I have not read all that this site contains, but what I have read seems to handle God’s word accurately.
If any of this makes you angry, I am sorry (for your anger, not for stating what I believe to be the truth). Please don’t e-mail me or leave comments just to tell me off. If, however, you have genuine questions about the idea of being simply a Christian, rather than a brand name, feel free to contact me through this blog.
~LW
