Quit Writing from a Place of Fear and Rediscover Your Joy

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson 

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him (Psalm 28:7 NIV).

A while back, I was having difficulties with a project. As I tried to figure out why, it dawned on me that instead of writing with courage and faith, I was writing from a place of fear.

No wonder the work was so difficult. The revelation stunned me. If there’s one thing I pride myself on (and that should have been my first clue I was about to fall flat on my face), it’s the thought that I’m not afraid of anything.

As I travel and speak to writers, one of the first things I share with them is how being courageous has helped me with my writing endeavors. 

So what did I do to overcome this roadblock?

1. I took my fear to God in prayer. His word is clear on the fact that we’re not supposed to fear. I acknowledged what I’d been doing and turned my fears over to Him.

2. I made a list detailing all my fears specifically. I didn’t simply think about them in my mind. I put those fears on paper. Know what I discovered? Most of the things I was worried about looked pretty silly on paper. 

3. I looked at the parts of the list that weren’t silly and turned them upside down. For example: I was afraid someone I loved would misunderstand my motive. To turn it upside down I considered the possibility that someone God loved would see Him more clearly. Yes, what I was fearful about could happen, but after flipping my perspective, I decided it was worth the risk.

4. I gave myself permission to write from a place of courage. I turned away from those voices that warned about bad results. Instead, I spread my writing wings and soared into the freedom of wordplay. I recaptured the joy of writing from my heart, exploring the whisperings of God in the depths of my soul. I rediscovered writing from a place of grace.

Today I’d like you to take a long and sensitive look at where you are with your writing. Ask yourself if you’re writing from a place of grace or a place of fear.

I'd also like to pray for you as you battle any fears that are hanging around. 

A Prayer for Courage

Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it (Ezra 10:4 ESV).

Dear Lord, You know what a wimp I am. At times it seems like my first love isn’t really writing’ it’s thinking up reasons to be fearful about my writing. You didn’t design me to be this way, and You certainly didn’t call me to a life of fear. 

I know Your plan for me is to walk confidently on the path before me. Help me learn how to do walk forward. Enlarge my courage and turn my focus away from the what-ifs that clutter my mind. 

Some days I wake up confident in what’s to come. But often even that confidence is misplaced—focused on me and my ability instead of on You. That’s when I get into the most trouble. Don’t let me substitute self-confidence for confidence in You. Remind me that I don’t have to get it right for You to use my words for the benefit of others. 

You take my most timid offerings and use them to further Your kingdom. I don’t have to write perfectly, hear perfectly, or even follow perfectly. Perfection is Your job, obedience is mine. You gave me a precious gift when You called me to write. Thank you for choosing to use me. Don’t let me waste it by being afraid. Amen.

Now, I have something for you to day. Please share some of the things you do to move past the writing fear! 

Don't Forget to Join the Conversation!

Blessings,

Edie

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Quit Writing from a Place of Fear and Rediscover Your Joy, tips from @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

This post is an excerpt from Soul Care for Writers (Bold Vision Books 2019)

Edie Melson is a woman of faith with ink-stained fingers observing life through her camera lens. She’s a writer who feels lost without that device & an unexpected speaker who loves to encourage an audience. She also embraces the ultimate contradiction of being an organized creative. She knows the necessity of Soul Care and leads retreats, conferences & workshops around the world on staying connected to God. Her numerous books, including the award-winning Soul Careseries & reflect her passion to help others develop the strength of their God-given gifts. Her blog, The Write Conversation is recognized as one of the top 101 industry resources. 

She and husband Kirk have been married 40 years and raised three sons. They live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and can often be found hiking—with Edie clinging to the edge of a precipice for the perfect camera angle and Kirk patiently carrying her camera bag and tripod. Connect with her on her website, www.EdieMelson.com and through social media.

Featured Image: Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash