Into the Fire

Sacred? Saccharine? Sanctimonious? Sweet? Sardonic?

Raging? Relaxed? Rigid? Robust? Righteous?

Healing? Hateful? Hallowed? Humorous? Humble?

What is the big deal about words anyway? Isn’t it ultimately how the words are used? Who says them, who writes them? The message can be contingent upon the messenger.

Is the messenger trustworthy, terrifying, tantalizing, a talebearer? Who knows the messenger?

What if you’re the messenger? You have a message. From God. Through His Holy Spirit. About Jesus. About the Kingdom of God. About getting there.

You need just the right words. Because the message is worthy of the best presentation possible. To be accurate. To be powerful. To be received.

Examine the messenger (yourself). Are you worthy of bringing the message? In the flesh, no. The words will come out harsh or self-righteous. In the Spirit the words will be orchestrated for a divine purpose and will accomplish the goal. What is the goal? That’s not for you to say. You must obey. God will use whoever He chooses to do whatever He chooses to influence whoever He chooses whenever He chooses to do it.

Intimidating? It should be. We have a divine call if we are writers. It is our duty, our privilege, our hope to be obedient to the stories God has for us to tell. They are as different as we are. God knows the focus of each body of work. He has the grand vocabulary to reach those of higher learning and the simpler words for those who never completed schooling. He views each audience the same: equally valuable. Each writer: equally valuable.

So, if you’re fretting to please man, don’t. Please God. He is the One who really matters because He is the only One who can reach anybody.

Heavenly Father, we give ourselves to you daily, for your service, for your instruction, for your help to accomplish what you have for us to do. Let us not forget our focus, to align our will with yours, to walk in your ways, to keep in constant contact with you as you supply our needs, our words, those things you’ve given us to do. Thank you for giving us a job to do in your Kingdom. Help us to always be faithful and obedient to you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.