Seeking Great Things—Thoughts on Faith, Writing & Marketing

by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank

Do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them (Jeremiah 45:5, NKJV).

Alone with the Lord, tucked away in the secret place of solitary worship, His words come to me like dancing light, filling my soul with indescribable gladness and satisfaction. Like a fragrant, freshly baked pound cake out of my great-grandmother’s oven, they beg to be shared. I run with them, out to the crowds, proffering my gift for all who will indulge.

For the Christian writer, this is the sweet place of writing. This is where we long to spend our time. We have a love affair with the Savior, and with His words. And we want everyone to experience the joy of hearing His voice.

But for every writer, there comes a time when the words meet the reality of promotion, the necessity of marketing. We spend agonizing hours laboring over a marketing plan outlining our pathway to great things, while inwardly groaning and wishing it wasn’t necessary.

At least that is how I have felt. Marketing is the hardest part of the writing journey so far for me. Seeking greatness seems counter to the rules I live by.

I have begun to wonder if my perspective is wrong. And after further examination, it turns out it is.

Do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them (Jeremiah 45:5).

In seminary, I learned to always read Scripture in context. The context of this passage in Jeremiah is a warning. Jeremiah is warning his scribe Baruch that there is one thing alone that is necessary in the current changing culture. The people of God were abandoning Him, and destruction was coming. God warns, “Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up…But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go” (Jeremiah 45:4-5).

The one thing that mattered was single-minded devotion to the Lord. The devoted one would be preserved, no matter the cultural upheaval to come.

We live in a time of cultural turmoil. Great men and women are falling into disgrace, their divided devotion disclosed, much to the disappointment of those who trusted them. 

More than any time in the history of my life, our society needs to see a display of the greatness of God.

As we devote our lives and work to God without compromise, He will Himself display His greatness through us. We don’t need to seek it for ourselves. We will merely be the scribes.

Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe, is remembered. Some could say he was a great scribe. His greatness, however, came from his devotion to God. Baruch is remembered appropriately, as a man who loved God and was secure in His promise to preserve him. The greatness of God is the hallmark of Baruch’s memorial. Because of Baruch’s faithfulness with the words he was given, the lesson remains throughout the ages: the only greatness that matters is found in devotion to our great God. I want a legacy like that. And I suspect, from the conversations I have over coffee, walking together between seminars, and quiet talks after hours at conferences with other writers, you do too.

So, like Baruch, we write. We listen to the wise Jeremiahs in our lives and do the work, be it marketing, emails, or editing. And we leave the matter of our greatness to the Lord, who promises to preserve us no matter what changes may come.

Lord, I do not seek greatness for myself. I seek to bring glory to Your great Name. Give me the discipline to do the necessary work and leave the matter of my success, my legacy, to you. Amen.

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Do the work of marketing, but leave the matter of your greatness in the hands of God - @AudreyCFrank on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Audrey Frank is an author, speaker, and storyteller. The stories she shares are brave and true. They give voice to those whose words are silenced by shame, the hard things in life that don’t make sense, and the losses that leave us wondering if we will survive. Audrey and her family have spent over twenty years living and working among different cultures and world views, and she has found that God’s story of redemption spans every geography (geographical location)  and culture. He is the God of Instead, giving honor instead of shame, gladness instead of mourning, hope instead of despair. Although she has three different degrees in communication and intercultural studies, Audrey’s greatest credential is that she is known and loved by the One who made her.

Her upcoming book, From Shame to Honor, is an outpouring of Audrey’s heart to introduce others to the God of Instead. Shame is not unique to the developing world, the plight of the women behind veils, young girls trafficked across borders; shame is lurking in hearts everywhere. Through powerful stories from women around the world, From Shame to Honor illuminates the power of the Gospel to remove shame, giving honor instead. Look for it through Harvest House Publishers in the fall of 2018.

You can also find Audrey at www.audreyfrank.com, as well as on Twitter and Facebook