Wandering Wednesdays
I hope you will enjoy and learn from my guest, Linda Yezak!
Most readers and writers of Christian fiction recognize what’s going on in today’s world, because we were warned to watch. We may not know the day or the hour, but we recognize the season, and we’re bracing ourselves, amping up our prayers for our loved ones, including in those prayers people we don’t even know. We’re putting oil in our lamps in expectation of our bridegroom.
We writers are in various stages of perfection in our craft, but we’re striving, always striving for improvement, to hone our skills, and produce the best product possible in honor of the One who called us to this adventure.
My Wednesday morning Bible class just finished Beth Moore’s nine-week study of 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Children of the Day. This paragraph in particular sparked my zeal:
Each day the sun comes up closer to the dawn of Christ’s coming. If the Word of the Lord needed to speed ahead in Paul’s generation, how expeditious should it be in ours? These are days for deliberate acceleration. We have wheels. We have wings. We have ways. We have means. At least for now, many of us also have freedom of speech (page 196).
And should that freedom be withdrawn, Beth says, we have the assurance of 2 Timothy 2:9 “the word of God is not chained.”
I got to thinking about our call to get the gospel out and how urgent the need is. Are we heading for Armageddon? No. That’s not for a while yet. But I believe that the trumpets are about to blast, and things are going to be tense on the earth, to put it mildly.
And I got to thinking of myself and my role as writer, who I write to, and whether I should shift from backsliders to nonbelievers. Getting the Word out seems so vital now, and those who are called to address the nonbelievers have such a pressing duty that I wondered whether I was supposed to join their ranks.
My answer came: No.
In the perilous times to come, all of us are needed. Writers whose works are intended for those who are already believers are crucial. These precious authors inspire, encourage, uplift Christians who already understand the parable of the fig tree. They already know their salvation is nigh.
Authors who address their works to the backsliders are vital, too. These are the ones who bring the lambs back into the fold, the ones who proclaim God’s forgiveness for whatever sin or rift that caused them to separate themselves, and call them to come home.
Don’t get me wrong: none of us escape the responsibility of the great commission. We are to called to spread God’s message. This duty falls upon the shoulders of every person declaring him- or herself to be a Christian. But our calling as individual authors may be different. Perhaps we were indeed called to address the unbelievers or answer the seekers, or perhaps we were called to bring our own back into God’s arms, or maybe we were called to encourage and guide those already in the faith. Whatever our individual calling, that calling is still critical, even as the seals snap open and the angels prepare their horns.
So, “let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJ).
About the author:
Over twenty years ago, after a decade of life as a “single-again,” author Linda Yezak rediscovered God’s love and forgiveness when He allowed her a second chance at marital happiness. She is now living her greatest romance with her husband in a forest in East Texas. After such an amazing blessing, she chooses to trumpet God’s gift of second chances in the books she writes. Linda’s novels are heart-warming hallmarks of love, forgiveness, and new beginnings.
You can find Linda at:
Knowing your calling in life is very important and knowing who we are writing to equally as important. I like how you said that some are called to address the unbelievers while others to the believers. Hadn’t thought of it in that way before so praying and asking God what He would have us write is so vital. I think it also ties in with our Spiritual gifts because those who have the gift of pastor would write something completely different from a person with the gift of mercy. Thank you, this is a very helpful article indeed! Blessings Linda! 🙂
Marcie, we Christian authors have a variety of audiences: believers, nonbelievers, seekers, and backsliders. If you ever get a chance, take a look at Writing in Obedience. It shows how to address each of these audiences.
Those who have the gift of pastor would write something different from those with the gift of mercy. Great point.
I’m glad you enjoyed the article!