I work like a mad scientist. When I am working on a writing project I am all in — laser-beam focus. I won’t shave. I can’t think about anything else. I don’t call my mom (sorry Mom). I lose track of the college football polls. My desk becomes littered with coffee cups, water bottles, and empty diet coke cans. My trashcan overflows with pierced K-cups. My desk lamp never gets turned off. There are stacks of research books everywhere I go. The project consumes me.
My metamorphosis into Dr. Frankenstein is due to the fact that I believe called of God to complete the project. I believe that the book or whatever it might be will change the world. Life begins to revolve around that important project.
Amazingly in those times I am able to do well with my quiet times and my relationship with God. I guess I incorporate prayer and Bible reading into the project. But my prayers center on the project. My Bible roulette is all about finding inspiration to push on.
Life becomes about one thing — the completion of that project.
When I struggle to even give my wife and children adequate attention. When I fail to contact family and friends I love dearly. When I don’t even do the hobbies I love then my personal character development is nowhere on the radar.
Writing. Word Count. Editing. Weed words. The perfect Pandora station. Research. Those things are on my radar.
Life becomes solely about completing the project which means that my attitude may go to pot.
It is downright scary how that I can be so driven to please God and serve Him through the completion of a project, but I totally ignore pleasing Him by becoming the person He wants me to be. I listen to lectures and read blogs of writing tips, but ignore the Holy Spirit prompting me not to be a jerk.
In pastoring I have been given the best advice on making my family a priority. I am regularly reminded that if I succeed as a pastor, but fail my family then ultimately I have failed. I think that same principle should be applied to our writing and our own character. If we succeed in creating masterpieces for the Lord, but fail to let Him work in our lives then we have failed.
To put our sanctification in perspective we need to keep in mind Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works…” Although we may be called to write, we are first His workmanship. Click To Tweet We need to let Him work.
Therefore as writers driven to glorify God and reach others we must remember the words from the Psalm 46, “Be still and know that He is God.”
We need to get up from our desks. Step away from the lap top. Turn off the music. Let the coffee cool down. And let Him complete our character over us completing a project. As followers of Christ, we must remember character over completion.
We love helping your growing in your writing career.
Thank you. I needed to be reminded of this. Two weeks ago a neighbor died so I have been staying with his bed ridden wife around the clock. I didn’t really know these people as I have only lived here 6 months and they are “just a neighbor”. In fact we just exchanged phone numbers a few days prior to his death. His wife had no one else to call. I checked in on them occasionally and would take them groceries because they are elderly, but I never really considered them friends, only neighbors.
I am currently writing a book with a planned publication of this summer and the thoughts are running rampant around in my mind and I would much rather be at my own apt, my own desk, and my own computer. Every chance I get I start working on the book, but it is hard to not want to go full speed ahead. It is killing me but I know God has other plans and I need to be obedient to His command to love our neighbor. I know it will get completed in God’s time and as you say… If we succeed in creating masterpieces for the Lord, but fail to let Him work in our lives then we have failed.
So thank you for this reminder.
PS. please add me to your prayers list and add MS Rosie that we may find her some in-home care. Thank you.
Carol thank you so much for your reply. You just described a situation that i know i experience and i am sure all Christian writers struggle with. I guess there is a balance between making sacrifices to write, but also not letting our writing ambition drown out our faithful living for Christ. All we can do is be obedient which ever way the Lord wants us to go. I will lift up Ms. Rosie in prayer. Hang in there. In both things you are doing a good work – writing and care-taking.
I have always been a project-aholic, so I relate completely. Perhaps that is why God has been prompting me to practice the be still and listen thing this year.
Lisa, thanks for the comments. I’m glad to hear I’m not alone. I have been thinking on this although i still agree with everything I said and know that our relationship with Him and our character are the utmost importance. We shouldn’t sell ourselves completely short because that determination and willingness to complete the task is a good trait – it just can be a double edged sword. Let us know the secret to “being still and listening”! We all could use improvement in that area.