If you’ve been in the writing world for any length of time, you’ll know this hard reality — to succeed in publishing, you have to have a following. Email subscriber lists, Twitter followers, Facebook fans — the works.
Obviously this notion flies in the face of biblical Christianity. How can we toot our own horns when we’re called to make ourselves nothing?
How can we elevate our own name and push our way to the top of the charts when we know that God opposes the proud by gives grace to the humble?
And yet, He also tells us to let our lights shine. He tells us not to hide our light under a bushel but to be like a city on a hill.
How do we reconcile this tension?Â
To be honest, I’m not sure I have the answer yet. I know it’s a heart issue, and it comes down to measuring motives. But my heart is deceitful above all things — how can I trust it?
A verse comes to mind: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
Do I do this well? Of course not. Do I believe it’s true? Absolutely. Will He keep giving me grace to try again? He’ll never stop until I reach glory.
So yes, it’s a matter of priorities. It’s a matter of following Him above all else — yes, even over and above the latest social media trends and best ways to increase Amazon reviews.
It’s a daily battle. We naturally want the accolades. We veer toward pride and selfishness every time.
But when we follow hard after Him, he will fulfill His perfect purposes in us. And that’s the very best place to be.
This post is Day 29 of the series 31 Days in the Life of a Christian Writer, written in five minutes flat as part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes Challenge.Â
See more posts in this series here.Â
This came at just the write time, after a frustrating WordPress weekend. Ugh! It’s been a few weeks since Breathe and I’m still focused on the technology. I’ve got to shift focus back to writing.