Nuggets
for Personal Journaling
by Claudia N. Tynes
Stewardship in Writing
Have you ever
asked yourself, "Am I a good steward as a writer?" Recently,
I've grappled with that question, thanks to a recent series my pastors
taught and preached.
Dubbed "The
Call to Stewardship," the series made life-changing impacts
in my life as I meditated on them. Before they taught the series,
I knew I trusted the Lord in all things and that everything I owned
belonged to Him. However, in the midst of listening and meditating
on the series, I revisited my prior declaration. My thoughts were,
I say I trust God in all things, but do I really trust Him?
Have I really relinquished everything I own to Him?
"We own
nothing, God owns everything." My statement, "I trust
God..." changed to "I think I trust God..." What
I discovered about myself is that it's easy to let words flow from
my lips when my faith has not been put on trial in a specific area.
God owns everything. What does everything mean? It means
everything
(time, talents, gifts, monies, writings, etc.).
Writers beware!
Are we good stewards over the writing ministries God has entrusted
to us?
Daniel Webster
wrote, "The greatest thought that ever entered my mind is the
fact of my responsibility to God." "So then everyone of
us shall give an account of himself to God" (Romans 14:12).
Stewardship Defined
What does it
means to be a steward? When we are stewards, we are not owners,
but managers. The American Heritage Dictionary
defines steward as a person who manages another's property,
finances, or other affairs. In the Strong's Exhaustive Concordance,
the Greek dictionary of the New Testament defines steward as administration
of a household or estate, stewardship (see reference 3622).
Meanwhile, the
Bible cites many biblical examples of what it means to be a steward.
There is a wonderful
principle outlined in Matthew 25:14-30, the parable of the ten talents.
In this familiar passage, the master judges and rewards the stewards
for their stewardship over the properties entrusted to them. How
would your stewardship as a writer compare to these stewards? Would
you rate as a ten, five, or one talent steward?
Be honest with
yourself—as I had to be the day thoughts danced in my head
concerning the writing ministry God has entrusted to me. I asked
myself, "Am I a good steward where my writing is concerned?"
One of the qualifications of a steward is that he/she must be found
faithful. Am I faithful to the writing ministry God has entrusted
to me? At that moment, my answer was a resounding, "No."
Today, I can more readily answer, "Yes!"
Lesson in Faithfulness
Stewardship
requires a singleness of focus, and a commitment to faithfully execute
our God-given tasks. A few months ago, God taught me the importance
of keeping my primary focus on writing for Him by using my Rottweiler,
Maxx, as an illustration.
When I let Maxx
inside the house, I stand behind the French doors that lead from
my deck into the dining room. Like a horse, he gallops through the
doors and goes around the dining room table, circling the chrome-glass
coffee table in the living room, and charges down the hallway. He
never stops until he reaches his destination, which is sitting or
lying on the floor beside my bed.
God used Maxx’s
single-focused actions to help me better understand stewardship
in writing. God assured me that He did not tell me to put writing
on the back burner, so to speak. I did that on my own for approximately
two years while attending the school of ministry at my local church.
His calling me to the school of ministry did not negate my call
as a writer. Understanding this, I began to write again. In fact,
that same week, I wrote and submitted a devotional based on the
illustration above about Max, and I wrote and submitted some other
pieces too.
What about you?
Evaluation Checklist
Can you think
of areas in your own writing that you put on the back burner because
you felt overwhelmed or pulled into other areas of ministry? Are
you ready to pick back up your pen—or pull out your keyboard
?
If so, here
is a checklist to help you evaluate your stewardship as a writer,
and get you back to writing—and submitting your work:
- Have
you acknowledged as a steward/writer that you and your possessions
belong to God? I remember doing this early on in writing.
Even where the ministry of writing was concerned, I always noted
that "The ministry is His: I am His pen."
- Are
you faithful to the call of writing? Faithful or faithfulness
is a valuable attribute to God because He is faithful. My discovery
revealed I wrote when times were convenient for me and not out
of necessity for the call God had entrusted to me. Confession
is good for the soul. Now I have moved forward, committed to what
He requires of me.
- When
you have to give an account of your stewardship, how will you
fare? My desire is to be rewarded like the ten and five-talent
stewards. For every talent God gives me, I will double it. I want
to hear Him say, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant..."
No one wants to be like the unfaithful servant who out of fear
hid his talent and lost the only talent he had. What a shame it
is to lose everything because of fear. Look at the time and efforts
he wasted too. Don't follow his lead. Don't allow fear to hinder
your stewardship.
Examine Yourself
Earlier I asked,"Have
you every asked yourself, 'Am I a good steward as a writer?'"
Now take the time to examine yourself. Here's how.
- Consider
Biblical examples. As mention, there are many examples
that illustrate ways of becoming good and faithful stewards. These
include:
Luke 10:30-37 —
The Good Samaritan
Mark 12:41-44 —
The Widow's Offering
Romans 12:1-2 —
Giving Ourselves to God
- Get
busy. Using the checklist and the biblical examples cited
above, study, research, and meditate on the Scriptures.
- Write
now. Grab your Bible, pen, and journal. As the Scriptures
speak to your heart, write what you hear.
- Be
honest. Your honesty plays an important factor in your
discovery. As you follow the steps above, honestly assess where
you are. Journal your feelings, including your aspirations, and
any frustrations, fears, or misgiving you have about what it will
take to become a "good and faithful" steward of your
writing gift/talent/call.
We are channels—not
reservoirs—for God to flow His will through us. When we are
trustworthy and faithful, God will always increase our capacity
to receive more. Will you let Him increase your capacity to receive
more? Will you choose to exercise stewardship over your writing?
Happy
Journaling!
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