WRITING WITH A CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION
By Nicky Hackett
What does it really mean to write with a Christian foundation? It means that I have surrendered my life to Christ, so my writing (and everything else) flows from a place that honors Christ, right? Simple to say, not so easy to do.
Why It Isn’t Easy?
We can’t write with a Christian foundation unless we follow Christ well. We need to know who He is and where He’s leading. We often try to shortcut the time it takes to marinate in Christ, learning about Him through His Word and His Spirit and communing with Him in prayer. Church is a hassle; we might think we don’t need it.
Every Christian has a unique salvation story. I came to Christ when I was 35 years old, with a bad understanding of Christianity and a whole lot of damage in my wake. I only knew I needed God’s help. God started below zero with me. I had/have so much to unlearn. For someone like me, it’s obvious I need daily time in prayer and Bible study and meditation to know who Christ is and what He did and how to respond. I need worship and a Christian community of support. I need to constantly gaze upon Jesus to reflect Him even a little. But this actually is true for anyone who wants to write from a Christian place, because when we aren’t growing forward, we are sliding backwards. And so much of growing in Christ is counter intuitive and counter cultural.
What Are We Hoping to Accomplish?
I want to write from a Christian foundation because I want to honor God, and I want other people to experience the beauty of Jesus. Maybe that’s true for every Christian. That means when I write about love, I want to reflect 1 Corinthians 13, not what I was taught, that love is a mysterious feeling to be followed at all cost whatever the harm. When I write about wisdom, I want to reflect James 3:17, not that wisdom is applying knowledge with discipline to win. And on and on. I want to reflect God’s deep, abiding joy even during times of injustice and grief. I want to show God’s eternal love, forgiveness and peace. I want people to understand why surrendering to Jesus is so much better and safer than playing in the shallow end.
As we consider this style of writing I invite you to join me in the following prayer crafted by Elizabeth Thompson:
Lord, please keep us focused on you. Help us to fully engage with you, seeking only to please you and bring glory to you in our writing.
Please give us words that meet our readers’ needs–words of encouragement, exhortation and inspiration.
Give us courage to write from our most tender places. Those parts of us where your Spirit is at work.
Protect us from the devourer of dreams and infuse our words with creativity, power and grace. Amen.
As writers we have a wonderful opportunity to do what brings us so much joy all while honoring the Lord and sharing of his love. Though difficult, using our own creativity to point beyond ourselves to God’s creativity is a beautiful and worthwhile venture.
Some Ponderings of Other Christian Writers:
The Challenge of Christian Writing and Publishing
REMEMBER YOUR CHRISTIAN FOUNDATION
Prayer: The Foundation of a Writing Life
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Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. James 3:17
