Confident in the Write Way

A confident, successful writer

Is it possible to be confident in the “write” way about our writing skills? I believe so. In fact, it’s vital to success in this industry. Please join me in exploring common problems writers face, how insecurities and fears hinder us, plus where to find a confident perspective.

Let me begin with a short story…

Sitting at the traffic light, I was frustrated when the green signal repeatedly skipped my lane. I thought I knew how to solve the problem although I questioned my instinct. I also was blocked in by other vehicles. Finally, however, an opening emerged that enabled me to move forward. Now at the head of the line, I pulled up far enough to trip the light. Sure enough, our signal turned green in the next cycle. I was elated, feeling great about my success even though I hadn’t been entirely confident at the outset.

Writers also encounter problems and question their sense of how to respond.

We can experience a limited audience, lack of connections, sparse funds, doubts about our abilities, scant support, and so on. One or all of these scenarios can lead us to spend enormous amounts of time second-guessing ourselves rather than proceeding forward with a confident mindset. Instead of following the Holy Spirit’s leading, we stay stuck in the middle of countless writers because we’re insecure and afraid.

Insecurities and fears hinder us, immobilizing us in a state of hesitation.

We long to be confident writers, but we battle unwelcome thoughts and feelings such as:

  • Insecurities about what we know and what we don’t know.
  • Insecurities about who will read our words and who won’t.
  • Fears of falling and failing.
  • Fears of standing out and succeeding.

Christian writer friend, this is not God’s plan for us.

The Lord didn’t entrust us with skills so we could sit idly by, waiting for the “perfect” moment to use them. Writing requires faith, the opposite of fear. And faith helps us to be confident—not in ourselves but in the God who has called us to write.

Scripture provides examples we can apply.

Timothy was afflicted with timidity, which didn’t serve the Lord, others, or even himself well. Perhaps he battled insecurities about his ability to pastor. After all, he was young, and he belonged to a Gentile father. Yet God chose Timothy. He planted gifts and talents inside him with the precise purpose of using this godly man as a pastor. Plus, the Holy Spirit equipped Timothy along the way, strengthening him to accomplish the Lord’s purpose for his life.

And remember the parable of the talents in Matthew 25? The servant who caved in to fear angered his master because he wasted money by not investing it. In the same way, we squander God’s gift to us when we hide it from others. The Lord desires to speak through us—through the words He gives us to write—and we’re responsible to share each message.

In today’s world of social media +  digital everything, we can:

  • Blog on our own
  • Contribute to other blogs
  • Post thought-provoking content on social media
  • Write articles for print
  • Write the book God etched on our soul

Obviously, we can’t “do it all” by pursuing every available opportunity in the writing world. Yet we can seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance, trusting Him to lead us according to God’s will for our writing. What step is the Lord prompting you to take next? Will you move forward in faith?

We can become more confident as we journey along because our adequacy rests in the One who created us.

Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5, NASB).

The words we write as Christians carry eternal significance, impacting people in the exact way God intends. Let’s not nurse our insecurities or cave in to fear. Instead, let’s hold our Father’s hand as the confident writer He created  each of us to be.

We’ll be elated with the success He brings.

In Christ’s Love,

The Lord didn't entrust us with writing skills so we could sit idly by, waiting for the "perfect" moment to use them. #ChristianWriters #WritersLife #WritingCommunity Click To Tweet

Writing requires faith, the opposite of fear. #ChristianWriters #WritersLife #WritingCommunity Click To Tweet

Let's hold our Father's hand as the confident writer He created each of us to be. #ChristianWriters #WritersLife #WritingCommunity Click To Tweet

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2 thoughts on “Confident in the Write Way

  1. Amen Ms. Emily. Becoming a “Light Writer” requires growth. Not only in skill as a writer, but spiritual growth. You know better than me perhaps how to accomplish both. We grow stronger by exercising and pushing ourselves to go further and work harder than we did previously. Increasing our faith muscles enable us to walk more closely aligned with our Teacher. In turn, He guides our writing even better when we listen better. 🙂 Great post ma’am!

    1. Hi, J.D.,

      I apologize for taking so long to reply. Thank you ever so much for stopping by, reading, and contributing your feedback to my post. You share great thoughts, and yes, spiritual growth is essential for us as Christian writers. It’s encouraging to reflect on where we started and see some spiritual growth alongside improvement in our writing skills. To God be the glory!

      In Christ’s Love,
      Emily

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