God Gives First So We Can Give Our Best

When I set aside working on the next book in my Roman-era Light in the Empire series to write this ACW blog post, I found myself thinking about the gifts God gives us so we can serve Him well. Like many Christian writers, I know in my heart that this is a calling from God, and I could never do it without those gifts.

God has always been in the business of preparing people to serve where He places them. As creatives, we need both inspiration and skill to serve Him well. If we’re going to do our very best, we can’t do it on our own.

God fills each of us with ability, knowledge, and skills to serve where He calls us.

I’m reminded of Bezalel and Oholiab. When it was time for the people of Israel to construct the tabernacle in the wilderness, they were chosen by God as craftsmen to make what was required and to teach others who would help them. The way in which Moses introduced them to the Israelites is found in Exodus 35:30-36:1 (ESV):

Then Moses said to the people of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, with intelligence, with knowledge, and with all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold and silver and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, for work in every skilled craft.

“And he has inspired him to teach, both him and Oholiab the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan. He has filled them with skill to do every sort of work done by an engraver or by a designer or by an embroiderer in blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, or by a weaver—by any sort of workman or skilled designer.

“Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded.”

Three things from this passage stand out for me as a writer.

1. God knows each individual He calls to serve. The first thing that strikes me when I read this passage is that God called both men by name. He knew exactly which person He was going to equip for the service He wanted from them. He called them to the task and filled them with the Spirit and everything they would need to do the work He called them to.
2. God knows which gifts we need. Skill, intelligence, knowledge, and craftsmanship: this reads like a list of what it takes to be a good writer. Our intelligence is a pure gift from God, but the others increase when we dedicate time and effort to improving them. The gifts He gives us are as varied as the tasks that await us. The musician uses her musical artistry to praise and worship God. The contractor and construction worker use their skills to build whatever is needed by the victims of a natural disaster. The cook uses his culinary gifts to prepare scrumptious food for fellowship or to feed hungry folks at a homeless shelter. As writers, we devise a plot and hone our craft to write riveting fiction that can share the message of God’s love for us. We try to write novels that tell gripping stories, skillfully crafted, that encourage readers to consider their own relationship with God in a way that deepens it. We work at pouring our full energy into the task, totally engaging our hearts and minds as we strive to get it right. We want to serve God with our best.

1. God might want us to teach others so they can serve Him, too.

   One thing I love about the Christian writer community is how willing successful authors are to share what they know about writing, marketing, and simply living the demanding life of a writer. I’ve learned so much from blog posts, webinars, and workshops at conferences where writers with advanced knowledge or exceptional skill share what they can to help us improve our own writing. Just as important, sharing about the emotional and spiritual challenges we all face offers such encouragement to keep working at this calling, even when it’s hard. I love praying for my writer friends and having them pray for me. I figure I’ll still be learning and improving until I type my final “The End.” Actually, I’ll probably type “Finis” since most of the characters in my Roman-era fiction speak Latin. But I’ve learned enough since I started writing fiction in September of 2013 to be of help to writer friends who are a bit earlier in their writing journey. I love sharing what I can when it might be helpful. I thank God for those opportunities! I’ve especially enjoyed sharing some of the things that I do that make writing historical fiction easier. Some things I’ve shared here include how to write cinematically, tips for doing historical research, how to write realistic spiritual arcs, how I choose my characters, and how to make settings feel real.

I hope some of what I find works for me has been helpful for others as well.

Share your thoughts!

1) How has God prepared you for your calling as a writer?
2) Is there something you do well that you like to share with other writers?
3) What ways have you found to share this with other writers?
4) How have other writers shared their gifts with you?