Write these things for the future so that people who are not yet born will praise the Lord. Psalm 102:18, NCV
One thing about publishing your writing, as opposed to journaling or emailing your thoughts to someone is that readers may discover your work far into the future. Often, you can update or revise your past writings, but thanks to current technology, most things simply don’t disappear. That means your thoughts and ideas are valuable and worthy of the time and energy it takes to master your craft and do the job well. All writing has a purpose or an intentional effect on readers, but Christian writing has a deeper purpose. It’s a message bearer, a light meant to draw others in, give them hope, and renew their sense that God reigns.
Christian writers add an element of possibility that does not exist anywhere else. They open the door to the heart, to the calling of God and to the next chapters of God’s story. That’s where you come in. That’s why your work and your sense of purpose must be clearly defined and well-executed. If you clearly understand your purpose as a writer, you’ll write meaningful ideas that can be pondered, discerned, and carried into eternity.
Close your eyes for a moment and imagine a reader ten, twenty, or fifty years from now who is taking in your words, your thoughts and trying to understand how to apply them to life as they know it. What gifts will you give them to sustain them if the world they live in is anywhere near as chaotic and frightening as the one we exist in today? What can you say that will bring comfort and blessing, possibility and hope?
When your new book is born, it must have one mission. It must be prepared to add to the light, bring the balance, and offer a loving perspective on all that reflects the very essence of God. You are His hands that can write from the heart, the feet that can walk in His ways, and the writer who can inspire generations to come. This is at least part of the definition of writing with purpose.
Blessings to writers everywhere today.