Shouting into the Darkness – Ken Barnes
Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant? Let the one who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on their God. (Isaiah 50:10 NIV)Many reading this piece write Christian literature, yet at times you feel as if no one is interested—it's like you are shouting into the darkness.
I have published two books, and I am writing a third. I have sold a few thousand books but nothing about which to write home to Mom. I have been writing a blog for over ten years, and several digital publications have used some of my work. I have gotten some good feedback, but not a lot. Most have disappeared into the blogosphere.
Now that I have given you the bad news let me give you the good—it doesn't really matter if you are writing for the Lord. The real joy in writing comes from the process, not the product. When the Holy Spirit gives you a concept, and you express it in written form, you feel God's pleasure. You are doing what you were made to do. The finished product, the blog, article, or book is good, but the real satisfaction comes when you faithfully exercise your God-given gift. Any good feedback, recognition, or financial blessing you get from your work is just icing on the cake.
I became discouraged when writing my first book, thinking no one would want to read it. I hesitated in my writing, but then I decided to write it as a love letter to God. If many read it or just a few, that would be fine because I was writing it for Him.
Furthermore, you never know the impact what you write will have. I had a French publisher translate my first book into French and made it available to the French-speaking world in west Africa. A young man from Mongolia asked if he could translate it into his native tongue. Today, they use it in discipleship training in that nation. Your works don't have to be widely distributed to be strategically placed.
My writer friends, it may appear you are shouting into the darkness, but keep on writing because "the pen is more powerful than the sword."
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