Hey, y'all. Jan here with a thinking-type post.
(Yes, I can talk Southern. My years in West Texas and in Kentucky taught me how!)
I've been convicted of something lately, and I'd like to share my thoughts with you.
Let's start here -
I'm teaching school-age children at Bible Study Fellowship this year, and we're studying Matthew. The immersion into this study (not only my own study, but in preparing to teach) reminds me that what we put into our hearts is what is going to come out.
In this section of Matthew, Jesus is talking to the Pharisees. You know, those religious leaders who were all about religion...but not so much about God. Like many of us, they thought they knew God. They thought they were obeying God with all their laws to "help" people follow God's Law.
But Jesus had a special name for them: brood of vipers. He uses that term more than once! Like I told the students in my BSF class, that means that He considered them to be a nest of venomous snakes.
I don't know about you, but I don't want the Lord of the Universe to consider me to be no better than a venomous snake.
I don't want my heart to spew out poison - untruths, slander, and even "mistakes" when I'm trying communicate to my readers about Jesus and His world...which covers 100% of what I write about.
But as writers, we are constantly filling our heads and hearts with knowledge - research for our latest novel. Sales statistics. The best price points. Reading blogs and listening to podcasts about writing and marketing.
As we watch the news or read the newspapers, we fill our minds and hearts with the noise of the World.
As we go about our non-writerly lives, we deal with family issues, church issues, and what in the world to fix for dinner.
When our heads and hearts become filled with the things of this world, what will overflow into our writing?
"For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."
What's the answer?
We must balance all of that - over-balance all of that - with God's Word.
Not just reading scripture, but delving deep into it.
Not just reading someone else's teaching on scripture, but studying it for ourselves.
Even if my daily word count suffers...
The time spent in God's Word - just me, my Bible, and the Holy Spirit - is never wasted. That's treasure to fill our hearts.
My prayer for all of us is that our heads and our hearts will overflow with Jesus, and that is who our readers will encounter in our books.
I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Jan, you are so right! We must always place God first in our lives and everything we do! Thank you for the reminder. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Edwina! Have a wonderful, blessed day!
DeleteLovely, Jan! Your Bible Study students are so fortunate to have you as their teacher.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Spending time with the Lord each and every day is the key to a life well-lived, whether we're writers or moms or grandmoms or working outside the home. Jesus comes first. Always!
Many years ago, I made a pillow for my grandmother that now sits in my office. It says, "Life outlined with prayer is less likely to unravel." I think of that often - a life hemmed with quiet time with God is a well-lived life. :-)
DeleteWonderful post, Jan. It’s so important to spend time with the Lord. And if our writing is going to glorify Him, we’ve got to know Him.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Terri!
DeleteThanks for your input!
Oh Jan, thank you for your post. I'm recently retired from my preschool teaching job and every morning now I get to indulge in studying the Bible as long as I want to. No more hurrying to read morning devotionals/Scripture and out the door to the job. Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving!
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessing, Karen! Isn't that time wonderful?
DeleteHappy Thanksgiving to you, too!
Spot on, Jan. And oh how I can fill my mind with what to fix for dinner. ;) If I don't spend time in the word or communicating with God, my day just isn't the same. Things are off. I'm off! And that's never a good thing.
ReplyDeleteMy time in God's Word usually comes at the end of the day during this season of my life, but the sundown to sundown routine works well!
DeleteExcellent point, Jan! As a writer-in-training, I sometimes stumble across how-to books that insist that you can't succeed unless you are willing to focus completely on your writing, to the exclusion of everything else. I decided early on that I wasn't willing to pay that price. Success isn't worth sacrificing my time with God, my relationship with my husband, or my availability to my kids and grandkids. But I have found that if my priorities are in the right order, God blesses my efforts so that I end up accomplishing more in less time. I love it that Seekerville is not just about the writing, but about lifting up the Lord through our writing.
ReplyDeleteI discovered that same thing early on, Terri!
DeleteGod first, family second, my writing a close third. That doesn't mean I short-change my writing time, but if I don't keep those priorities, my writing will shut everything else out. And what suffers? Everything!
I was just talking about this verse with my kids today and how we have to feed our hearts and minds with good and godly things otherwise we will have yucky heart issues. A great reminder to apply in all things!
ReplyDeleteIt's a great verse for all of us, isn't it?
DeleteSuch a wise and timely reminder!
ReplyDelete