Called To Write: Biblical Truths For Bloggers And Authors, by CM Logan and KM Logan

Over a year ago, when I was on a business trip to the Eugene/Springfield area [1], I prepared for the trip, which I (mistakenly) thought would be for a more lengthy period by downloading a lot of free books to read from Amazon. At the time, I did not have a kindle or any other kind of e-reader (I used my laptop), and this was one of the books I got. Although the subject is of great interest to me as a Christian blogger and writer, I hesitated a fair amount in reading this particular book, given the fact that claiming a calling or a ministry is an act that can be immensely and unnecessarily provocative act, and that we should be wary of appointing ourselves for tasks related to the ministry of God [2]. It is therefore with a great deal of cautious that I looked at this book to see what it had to say.

For once, it appears, my caution was rewarded with relief, as it quickly became clear that this particular book had in mind biblical counsel and advice for writers that was not in the least provocative, and that in most ways was rather obvious to someone who has a passion for writing and takes God’s words seriously. Many of the chapters contained personal testimony about the authors as well as about other Christian writers about the need to be patient and wait on God’s time and not our own, to seek God’s glory and not our own, to engage in prayer and Bible study and to seek to speak encouraging words that would give others the opportunity to seek God and turn to Him, and to not judge our success as a writer by sales or blog views, and to understand the amount of time it often takes to hone one’s craft and to see any material benefit from the fruits of our labors.

This advice is timely, and it is applicable to our pursuits far outside of writing alone. However, for those who have a drive to write, and have acquired skill at it through effort and diligence, it makes sense as a Christian to give praise to God, and to recognize that the longing we have been given for expression is itself a revelation of at least part of what God wishes for us to do, and that it should be done for the glory of God. In particular, the author gives compassionate advice as well to those writers who have lived a difficult life, in the knowledge that we can use our stories as authors to show our humanity and show what God has had to work with, as a way of showing gratitude for God and honest sincerity about our own struggles and difficulties. This book is very short, but its advice and scriptural counsel is definitely something that would be of great encouragement to many writers who wish to honor God and develop their God-given gifts.

[1] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2013/06/10/let-me-upgrade-you/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2013/06/11/dont-have-a-cow-man/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2013/06/19/staring-at-the-sun/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/labore-et-dignitas/

[2] See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/book-review-the-second-exodus-generation/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2014/02/26/book-review-the-making-of-a-prophet/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2013/01/09/profitless-prophets/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/we-are-not-divided-all-one-body-we/