This is war.

Whether you realize it or not, you, as a child of God and an artist, a writer, are a warrior in this battle. This is serious. Don’t believe me? Think about all the books, tv shows, movies, games, stories that are pulling people in the wrong direction; away from God. This is strategic. Think about how a well-written story draws you in and connects you emotionally with the characters. You get invested. You have to keep reading or watching. Then in slips the subtleties that will pull the viewer or the reader, in a specific direction. The devil knows what he’s doing.

But so does God.

He’s got a battle plan. And He chose you. You, dear writer, to be a warrior in this world. God has given us these passions for storytelling for a reason. He knows how media has affected this world, our country, our communities. We need to do our part.

Yes, writing is fun. We enjoy developing the characters and weaving plots and all that. But there’s something deeper that we need to consider: how our stories effect other people. 

I’m not really here to say you have to change the way you write. I’m saying we have to think about why we write and for Who. This isn’t just fun and games. Yes, we can enjoy our gifts, but look at these verses…

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. -1 Peter 4:10

We should be using our gifts to serve others.

Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men. -Colossians 3:23

Everything we do, even writing, should be for the Lord.

God made you a writer for a reason. He has a plan for you.

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in heaven. -Matthew 5:16

Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you… -1 Timothy 4:14

Your stories can change people’s lives. It’s time to take back the hold these worldly stories have on our people and shine God’s light through our work. Stories are important. 

Don’t believe me? Well, Jesus was a storyteller too.

I count parables as stories. Stories that had themes that taught people biblical principles. Some got it, some didn’t. But the point is that Jesus used stories to get His point across. We can too.

Whether you’re a full-time published author, a writer with that goal, or someone who’s not sure writing is there thing, you can impact the world. Even if it’s just one person’s world. 

And I’m not just saying this to writers. In whatever art form you use, whatever gift you’ve been given, you can use to glorify God, further His kingdom, and shine your light before others. God can use you to show others His goodness. I’m not going to pretend like I know what God has in mind for any of us. But whatever we do, we should do our “work heartily as for the Lord.” 

I’m very passionate about this and have been for a while, and I was thrilled when Story Embers released their Christian Storytellers Manifesto. It perfectly states all the things that I want to remember and strive for as a writer for God. I did a post on it a while back after I’d signed this manifesto. It means a lot to me and I have it framed and hanging above my workspace. 

If you feel the same as I do, then I want to encourage you to sign this as well. Join over 400 other passionate storytellers. But don’t make a hasty decision. This is a high standard and it’s not always easy. But it’s worth it. Click here to learn more about the manifesto.

Okay so this ends my little rant. 😉 But I truly believe that God is doing something great in our Christian writers circles and communities. It’s so amazing to see so many writers sharing the same passion to write well-written stories and glorify God through them. The pen is a mighty sword.

Will you join the battle?

Other posts you might like:

• 5 Thoughts Writers Need to Stop Thinking
• Writing Has Been Romanticized
• Review|The Story of With by Allen Arnold

Why do you write? How do you want to impact the world?