The Cure for Discouraged Writers

By Joshua J. Masters @JoshuaJMasters

Christian writers are not immune to rejection and struggle. I’d like to say I responded to a recent rejection by saying, “What a delightful part of God’s plan for this project,” but that’s not exactly how I felt. When we feel discouraged in our writing, how do we overcome the negative story we tell ourselves and recapture the heart of what God’s called us to do?

Perhaps the most famous poem every written was penned by one of the greatest poets and songwriters of all time. Maybe you’ve read it.

The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside still waters…

(Psalm 23:1-2 NKJV)

The promise of serenity expressed in Psalm 23 is hard to grasp (or even read) when you’re walking in a dark place, isn’t it? I sometimes feel like we read this passage at funerals because it seems impossible to attain that kind of comfort while we’re still living on this side of eternity. But we’re meant to claim its promise of hope now, even as we “walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” But how?

David likely wrote Psalm 23 toward the end of his life, after he’d learned how to live in the promise of God’s peace through any circumstance or trial.

That’s sounds great but when I get rejected by an agent, can’t hit my word count, don’t feel motivated to write, or get a rough critique, I don’t feel anything like David.

David didn’t always feel that way either. He went through dark seasons of discouragement and pain. Consider the passage from Psalm 22 below. Notice the heart-wrenching emotional pain David is feeling as he writes:  

I’m a bucket kicked over and spilled,

    every joint in my body has been pulled apart.

My heart is a blob

    of melted wax in my gut.

I’m dry as a bone,

    my tongue black and swollen.

They have laid me out for burial

    in the dirt.

Now packs of wild dogs come at me;

    thugs gang up on me.

They pin me down hand and foot,

    and lock me in a cage—a bag

Of bones in a cage, stared at

    by every passerby.

They take my wallet and the shirt off my back,

    and then throw dice for my clothes.

You, GOD—don’t put off my rescue!

    Hurry and help me!

Don’t let them cut my throat;

    don’t let those mongrels devour me.

If you don’t show up soon,

    I’m done for—gored by the bulls,

    meat for the lions.

(Psalm 22:14-21 MSG)

David was as discouraged and defeated as a person could be, but later on—after some healing in his life, he writes one of the most famous passages in the Bible about peace and trust in the Lord.

Maybe you’re feeling discouraged right now. Maybe you’re thinking, The twenty-third psalm is fine for David, but I just don’t feel that kind of peace in my life. 

Well remember, in Psalm 22, David felt like he was being attacked by wild dogs and that he was at the edge of death. 

He had to learn how to live in God’s peace. 

How did he do that? 

What was the cure for his discouragement?

What’s the transition that changed David’s perspective from fear to peace?

What changed in David’s writing?

The answer is actually in the next line of Psalm 22. 

Where did we leave off? Oh, yes…

If you don’t show up soon,

    I’m done for—gored by the bulls,

    meat for the lions. (MSG)

But even though there’s no sign anything in his circumstances changed, David’s heart changes in the next verse when he writes,

But

You have answered me.

I will declare your name to my brethren;

In the midst of the assembly I will praise you.

(Psalm 22:21b-22 NASB)

In his darkest moment, David turned to God and worshipped him. 

At the end of his soliloquy of self-loathing, he moves his focus away from his own problems, and worships God—the God who had ALREADY answered him. Worship changed his heart and encouraged him because through his praise, he was reminded of God’s promises.

God has made promises to you too. Being called to write for God doesn’t absolve you from suffering, but it does provide a solution for wallowing in it. 

Praising God isn’t just a response to the good things He’s done for us, but the cure for moments of uncertainty. It reminds us that God is still working, that He’s still good, and that His plan is trustworthy. But above all, it reminds us He’s worthy of praise.

Maybe you didn’t get a book contract, maybe your blog doesn’t get enough traffic. Maybe there’s something in your personal life that makes you feel like meat for the lions. Whatever it is, in your darkest moment, find a way to worship God. 

Then watch Him turn your twenty-second Psalm into your twenty-third.

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Joshua J. Masters is a pastor, author, and speaker. He’s been featured on CBN Television, HIS Radio, and the Light Radio Network. Josh is the author of American Psalms: Prayers for the Christian Patriot and is a contributing author for Feed Your Soul,  Refresh Bible Study Magazine, and One Christian Voice. Josh has also worked as an actor and crew member in the film industry (SAG/AFTRA) and continues to have a passion for film. He lives with his wife, Gina, and Franklin the Pup outside Greenville, South Carolina where he serves as a speaking and care pastor.

Josh would love to connect with you on his website, www.joshuajmasters.com or engage with you on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Goodreads.