10 Spiritual Resources for the Christian Writer

by Katy Kauffman 
@KatyKauffman28

A war is raging. Light versus darkness, truth versus error, and hope versus desperation. God calls His children to be soldiers of light and bearers of truth. We are witnesses of the hope that is found in Jesus Christ. God has given us protective armor, the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit to help us fight powerfully and faithfully. For some of us, He has given us one more weapon—the pen.

Have you—a writer who may scribble notes on a legal pad or furiously type them into a computer—ever thought of yourself as a warrior? Recently Linda Gilden shared with me a quote from a surprising source, Martin Luther himself. He said, “If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.” Your pen (or keyboard) is a stewardship from God. With it, you may change the world one reader at a time.

Warriors grow weary. Long hours—many of them solitary—eat away at their energy and zeal. The enemy never stops his advances. Inner doubts, outward fears, and numerous challenges tempt warriors to give up. But we can’t. Too much is at stake.

God has too much for us to do, too many adventures to live, for us to give up on writing. He has equipped us with the resources we need to do our assignment. Several of them are found in a small but powerful book of the Bible—2 Timothy. When you feel like giving up on your writing journey, when there are too many obstacles, or when your doubts start to crowd out your faith, remember that God has provided you with resources for victory. They are available to anyone walking with God, and as writers, we can use them to wield our pens as a powerful force for good in the world. All of the resources below can be found in 2 Timothy Chapter 1, and the verse number is beside each resource of Christian life and ministry.

10 Spiritual Resources You Can Count On When You Write:

1. Grace (v.2) – Draw from the storehouse of God’s resources as you write, and tap into the ability He supplies to write each book, article, and blog post.

2.Mercy (v.2) – Let God’s love for you and for the world inspire you to write with compassion and to share about the merciful God who saves, heals, and rescues us.

3. Peace (v.2) – Join your heart to God’s, and let a closeness to Him bring an inner strength and an indescribable calmness to your heart.

4. Genuine Faith (v.5) – Use your faith in God to battle doubts, fears, and other obstacles. He knows exactly what message you need to share and how to do it.

5. The Gift of God within You (v.6) – Fan to white hot heat the gift of God within you, so that you’re drawing from the Holy Spirit’s power as you write and edit, not your own. (Our spiritual gifts do impact the way we write.)

6. A Spirit of Power, Love, and a Sound Mind (v.7) – Overcome a spirit of fear with the power of God that parts the sea and moves mountains, with the love of God that defeats apathy and indifference, and with the truth of God that identifies lies and changes lives.

7. God Himself (v.12) – Depend on God to make your work count for eternity. Entrust the results of your words to Him.

8. Sound Words (v.13) – Draw from Scripture the words, principles, and stories that will change hearts and lives.

9. Faith and Love in Christ (v.13) – Believe in the mission God has given you, and let His love carry you through challenges and motivate you to persevere.

10. People who Refresh Us (v.16) – As Paul was refreshed by a friend who diligently sought him out, be refreshed by the people God has given you to know and to love.

God arms His spiritual soldiers with what we need to fight the good fight and to make His hope and love known to the world. Depend on Him as you write, and remember you never write alone. God stands with you and strengthens you for the work (2 Timothy 4:17).

Which resource above would help you to continue writing even if you felt like giving up? Tell us in the comments below, and don’t forget to join the conversation!

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Katy Kauffman is an award-winning author and a co-founder of Lighthouse Bible Studies, a ministry which seeks to connect people to God through His Word.

She has taught the Bible to women and teens, and has two published Bible studies for women, 2 Timothy: Winning the Victory and Faith, Courage, and Victory which won the 2016 Selah award for Bible studies. She is an editor of Refresh Bible Study Magazine and the designer of Broken but Priceless: The Magazine. She makes her home near Atlanta, Georgia.