Writer, Do Not Be Afraid

by Audrey Frank @AudreyCFrank

After this the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward (Genesis 15:1).

For years, I carried hope around in my wallet. It was a slip of paper, an ad carefully torn from the back of a magazine, with the words, “So you want to write a book?”

It went with me to our first home, a mud hut in Africa. I carried it beside Kenyan shillings, then later beside English pounds as we studied in the UK. I tucked it in with US dollars during home assignment, and it remained even as I exchanged those for the currencies of North Africa and the Middle East.

One day, many years later, I finally took that hope out of its hiding place and faced the fear keeping me from action. I researched writing conferences and registered for my first, the Blue Ridge Mountain Christians Writers Conference. Generous friends raised the money for me to go, and I found myself with no excuse left not to take the plunge. It was at BRMCWC that I found the courage to call myself writer, even after a lifetime of writing in private.

Writing can be a scary business. We who steward words must deal with our fear. I know of no greater place to face it than before the One called the Word Himself. We who follow Jesus have a key advantage- the very One we follow is called the Word! We who steward words follow the Word embodied, sacrificed, risen, powerful and alive. If we believe in Him and all He is, it logically follows that we really should have no fear of lack in our craft.

But we do. We are human, and we are often afraid.

Abram, before he became the famous and legendary Abraham, was also afraid. The Word came to him with impossible words: “Do not be afraid.”

I find that many of the things God commands are, in human fact, impossible. So He gives us Himself to make the impossible possible. Our mysterious God gives commands that are not possible without Him.

And therein lies the secret.

How could Abram not be afraid? Because of what was attached to that command. 

I am your shield, your very great reward.

As we take our hope out of hiding and step forward in faith, the Lord Himself goes with us. He is our shield, and He is our reward. With promised protection and promised reward in Him, we can be brave. We can steward the words the Word gives us. We can call ourselves writers.

Don’t be afraid, Christian writer. For the Word Himself is your shield, your very great reward.

Lord, give me courage to overcome my fear today. Amen.

TWEETABLE

Writer, Do Not Be Afraid, insight and encouragement from author @AudreyCFrank on @EdieMelson

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 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.

Audrey is the author of Covered Glory: The Face of Honor and Shame in the Muslim World (Harvest House Publishers), 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, Covered Glory illuminates the power of the Gospel to remove shame, giving honor instead. Available at favorite booksellers: BARNES & NOBLE , BOOKS A MILLION, AMAZON.

Featured Image: Photo by Abed Ismail on Unsplash