5 Promises When Writing is Hard
Deadlines were looming, but the words weren’t coming.
We’ve all heard about the debilitating “writer’s block.” Yet over the years, I think the dearth of words when we wordsmiths need them most can usually be attributed to fear, doubt, or discouragement.
It’s so easy to compare ourselves to others and think it comes easier for them. Yet, according to Theodore Roosevelt, “comparison is the thief of joy.”
When I compare myself to others and their calling, I become focused on what God is doing in them and for them and through them, all the while blinded to what God is doing in me and for me and through me.
When I give in to fear — fear of failure, fear of rejection, even fear of success, I demonstrate a lack of trust in the One who gave me the desire and the gift to write in the first place.
The truth is, Romans 11:29 says, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” God has given you a gift that is incapable of being retracted, revoked, or taken away. He isn’t finished with you and your gift.
God has given you a gift for a purpose: because He desires to use it for others’ good and His glory. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6).
Having trouble figuring out how to use it? Ask Him. “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). God knows what He wants you to communicate, when, and where. Let Him guide you.
While some days the writing might flow, other days it may be more difficult. But keep your heart and your mind surrendered to the process of learning more about your craft and how God desires to use you to accomplish His purposes. “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me” (Philippians 3:12).
On those days when it seems our words are empty or our audience nil, resist the urge to give up. We are responsible for being obedient to the call, while God is ultimately responsible for the end result. Keep the faith and trust in Him that when the time is right, He will bring the good result. But He can only do this if we continue to persevere despite the hard times, and do not give up. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
You were created for such a time as this. Enjoy the journey!
For a Free eBook on How to Help a Depressed Loved One, click here: http://drmichellebengtson.com/how-to-help-a-depressed-loved-one-ebook/
For more helpful information about what you need to know when you have a depressed loved one, read here: http://drmichellebengtson.com/10-things-to-know-if-you-have-a-depressed-loved-one/
For more about what not to say to a depressed loved one, read here: http://drmichellebengtson.com/what-not-to-say-when-a-loved-one-is-depressed/ while here are suggestions about supportive things you can say to a depressed loved one: http://drmichellebengtson.com/what-to-say-when-a-loved-one-is-depressed/
Dr. Michelle Bengtson (PhD, Nova Southeastern University) is an international speaker, and the author of best-selling “Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression” and the newly released companion “Hope Prevails Bible Study.” She has been a neuropsychologist for more than twenty years. She is in private practice in Southlake, Texas where she evaluates, diagnoses, and treats children and adults with a variety of medical and mental health disorders. She knows pain and despair firsthand and combines her professional expertise and personal experience with her faith to address issues surrounding medical and mental disorders, both for those who suffer and for those who care for them. She offers sound practical tools, affirms worth, and encourages faith. Dr. Bengtson offers hope as a key to unlock joy and relief — even in the middle of the storm. She and her husband of 30 years have two teenage sons, and reside in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. She blogs regularly on her own site: http://www.DrMichelleBengtson.com
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