The Write Conversation

From Edie: Discover why your writing journey is a gift from God to steward and how your experiences can encourage others while bringing Him glory.

Stewarding Your Writing Journey for God's Glory

By Edie Melson @EdieMelson

In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.

1 Corinthians 4:2

When I think about stewardship, I usually picture managing something that belongs to someone else. I don't automatically think of my life—and especially my writing life—in those terms.

Instead, I tend view writing as a journey. We all have a writing journey. It's filled with successes and setbacks, unexpected detours and hard-won victories. It's shaped by the people we've met, the lessons we've learned, and the experiences we've lived. And each journey is unique, even when we travel with others.

But what if our writing journey isn't simply something we're living? What if our journey is something we've been entrusted to steward?

The more I've walked this road, the more I've realized every part of my journey is a gift from God. 

• The joyful moments
• The heartbreaking seasons
• The opportunities I never expected
• Even the disappointments I’d never have chosen

God has used every one of them to shape me—not only as a writer, but as a follower of Christ.

And He didn't do orchestrate these only for my benefit. Our experiences aren't meant to be hidden away like old journals collecting dust on a shelf. They're resources God can use to encourage, teach, and strengthen others. The lessons we've learned through failure may become the encouragement another writer desperately needs. The victories we've celebrated can remind someone else that perseverance is worth every bit of the struggle.

As writers, we are stewards of more than words. We are stewards of the stories, wisdom, and experiences God has entrusted to us.

That doesn't mean we share every detail of our lives. Wisdom and discernment still matter. But it does mean we should never hoard the gifts God has given us out of fear, insecurity, or the belief that our story doesn't matter.

Now, I’m viewing my writing life differently and I’m choosing to view my writing journey differently. Instead of seeing it as something that belongs to me, I want to faithfully steward it for God's glory. I want to share the good, the hard, and even the broken places, trusting that God can use every part of the story for His purposes. Because the journey He entrusted to us was never meant to end with us.

My Prayer for You

Dear Lord, You are always faithful. You walk with us in the good times and the difficult ones. You are the one who has given each of us the gift of writing—and we can trust You with that journey. 

Remind us to never hide the things You’ve done. And especially don’t let us be unwilling to share the parts of our journey that will give others encouragement. Show me how to hold my experiences with open hands, allowing You to use every part of my journey in ways that glorify You. Amen. 

TWEETABLE

Stewarding Your Writing Journey for God's Glory from @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Edie Melson believes God often teaches His deepest truths through the creative life. An award-winning author, speaker, photographer, and self-proclaimed organized creative, she has spent more than 25 years encouraging writers to pursue God's calling with courage, purpose, and joy. She is the author of more than two dozen books, including the award-winning Soul Care series, and serves as executive director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. Edie and her husband, Kirk, live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where you'll often find her hanging off a ledge for the perfect photograph while Kirk patiently carries the tripod.