A Writer's Character

 

By Andrea Merrell

When God bestows the gift of writing, it’s a great blessing. But it also comes with great responsibility. He is much more concerned with who we are and who we are becoming than the wonderful words we pen.

As Christian writers—or writers who write for the Lord—we should never allow the dog-eat-dog mentality of the world to cross our threshold. Jealousy and competition have no place in our arena. God makes room for each of us, not according to our talent but according to our character and integrity.

It’s tempting to be envious when we see others succeed. When those around us get a contract, win a contest, or get recognized and praised for their accomplishments. But their blessings never come at our expense. They are no threat to the success God has planned for each of us.

When our words are read by others—whether a blog post, devotion, or novel—we become leaders. And part of our job as a leader is to make our followers and peers feel good about themselves. Instead of seeking out acknowledgement and validation, we should be more about promoting others. Loving them. Honoring them. Helping them in whatever way we can. Writers don’t live in a vacuum. Even when we don’t realize it, our influence is far-reaching.

We only fail when we favor gifts over character. The truth is both need to be developed. We should never celebrate a person’s gift and overlook their character—not even ourselves. God doesn’t.

One writer says character is the sum total of our daily habits. David says it best in Psalm 15 (NLT) where he gives us the characteristics of a leader worthy of respect:

  • They live blameless lives and do what is right (integrity).
  • They speak the truth with sincerity and love.
  • They steer clear of gossip.
  • They do nothing to harm others in any way.
  • They never speak evil of their friends.
  • They honor those who follow the Lord.
  • They keep their promises even when it’s hard.
  • They lend without charging interest.
  • They cannot be bribed to lie.

David goes on to say that “such people will stand firm forever."

The Message makes it plain and simple: "Walk straight, act right, tell the truth. Don’t hurt your friend, don’t blame your neighbor; despise the despicable. Keep your word even when it costs you. Make an honest living. Never take a bribe. You’ll never get blacklisted if you live like this."


(Photo courtesy of Canva.)


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God is much more concerned with our character than the wonderful words we pen. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to tweet.)


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