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@daeus-lamb

I haven’t heard that argument before (that we shouldn’t worry too much about glorifying God through writing, it just flows), and unless you are a Corrie Ten Boom or someone else who has suffered greatly for Christ, I think that is a really dumb thing to say.

I was actually ranting about some of this yesterday (to the confusion and befuddling of my siblings who had no earthly idea what I was jabbering about and wanted me to be quiet [the kitchen sink has become on occasion a podium from which I throw all sorts of ideas from]).

O.K. so my thoughts on that… One thing I’ve been thinking about lately is which Christian books have been most impacting to me and what was it that made them so impacting and distinguished from clean secular and other “Christian” fiction (I’m thinking of fantasy especially). The biggest things that stood out to me were these two:

1. The book made me think about God in a new light, helping me to see him a little better for who he is.

2. Hope.

I don’t think either of these things are natural to my writing, or me as a person. I think like you said (and one of my favorite points on the Manifesto) is that I need to be abiding in Christ and spending time in his word, that’s when real power comes out of my writing. Yet even so, I’ve grown up in a Christian family, I know what to say, I know exactly what “a good little Christian girl” ought to look like around my circles. Yet if my heart is not right with God, what does it matter? There is no real power in me, only hypocrisy.

I was thinking about this in regards to music, as I am a very musical person and especially since I started cello this week. I’ve been praying that I would glorify God as I learn to play cello, but as I thought about it, what does that mean? Does that mean that only hymns and other music that talks about God is glorifying to him, should I even play classical music if that is the case? I decided it comes down to the heart. My heart needs to be turned towards God, and as I play, I thank him for the ability to play, for the cello I’m playing, for the calluses growing on my fingertips. My heart should be one of gratefulness and praise to God no matter what I’m playing, then there is power in my music. Yes, I should play music that others will hear and know that it speaks of God, and yes, I should use much discretion in the music that I play, music is powerful. Yet if I were to play Amazing Grace with a heart that only seeks to wow my audience and bring glory to myself, I am not doing what I was made to do. This mindset doesn’t come naturally, I think that glorifying God in music is much harder than just opening up a hymnal and playing away, I have to spend time with God, and all throughout the day I need to remember that this is how I should view my entire life.

I believe this is the same concept goes with writing. If I’m writing something to impress the Christian crowd and bring glory to myself as a writer, then I’m not writing anything but vain words. I think I used to do this a lot with characters who were perfect little Christians and always had an answer for everything. They almost didn’t need God. I think recognizing that I need God desperately and every other person on this planet needs him helps me to realize that it’s not me as an author or my characters who have answers, God is the answer, and my writing should be aimed first to glorify God, but also to start a thirst in my readers for him, which is number two: hope.

I think recognizing that my heart is born turned against God helps me to understand that even as I’m learning more about him, my writing will not automatically come out to glorify him, it will come out wanting to glorify myself. Just as learning to glorify him in every area of my life not just by deed but by heart, I think writing is no different.

I think like anything, growing as an author who writes God-glorifying words, I think that I can know how to make it sounds good, but to know how to make it powerful, that takes much more work. It’s slow work to first get my heart in the right place and ask God to help me know what to write, your point one, I wholeheartedly agree with that. I can do nothing to glorify him that matters for eternity without him. I have to switch my entire mindset to be able to do this, and that just takes time.

Lastly, I also agree with point #3. Lukewarm… utter hatred. Give me hot or cold, but not the middle, it’s disgusting. I hate lukewarm “Christian” fiction. I won’t touch most of the fiction section in the Christian bookstore with a stick (especially the fiction fare for gals, it is disgusting… at least to me it is). Nothing glorifying to God except for a little inspirational quote here and there, maybe a Bible verse, maybe a sweet little prayer when things are at the climax. Whatever. I am more impacted by characters the fall, are broken, mess up, then are redeemed. When God (or whatever symbolizes God in the story) is the underlying current and the solution, not just the P.S. he was helpful in this story, that is when there is power. I think specifically of the Wingfeather Saga  right now, partially because I think it’s a great example and partly because I just finished it this morning and am still in pieces.

Loved the last point!! XD Amen, hallelujah, let him be heard, this is true. I need to make a quote out of that… This is why I hate the vast majority Christian romance novels and would rather sit on a fencepost in the middle of nowhere than read one of those stupid things.

Anyway, there goes my rant. I’ve been thinking about some of this lately… Thanks for putting up your thoughts on this topic, I think that they were well thought out and very important. 🙂