If you’ve followed Authoring Arrowheads for a while, you may remember the monthly blog series I wrote in 2021, which became a free eBook, Writing by Faith. The Writing by Faith blog posts discussed the ministry that is Christian authorship, and how we can avoid falling into common snares the Enemy sets for us along our author journeys. In the same vein, in this week’s post, we’ll discuss another aspect of Christian authorship that wasn’t covered in Writing by Faith. Christian authors, something we need to stop and ask ourselves from time to time is, is our writing a true, biblical labor of love? And if we find it isn’t, how can we rectify that?

Christian Authors, Is Our Writing a True, Biblical Labor of Love?

As mentioned in Writing by Faith, it’s easy for Christian authors to get caught up in the shiny attractions of authorship: fame, royalties, social media likes, thousands of rave reviews, etc. I’ll be the first to admit they’re all tempting. But, if we allow those things to distract us from our true Why as Christian authors–writing for God’s glory and to make Him known–is our writing then a true, biblical labor of love, or a labor for the “luxuries” this world has to offer?

We all fall into this trap from time to time. I have myself recently, which inspired me to write this post. The key, however, is to not get comfortable in the trap, but to remember that we carry the key to escape the temptation through our Helper, The Holy Spirit. If we actively listen to The Holy Spirit, He will let us know when our focus is off course in our writing ministries. In my experience, this conviction smacked me right between the eyes, forcing me to face the question: Is my writing a true, biblical labor of love?

What is a Biblical Labor of Love?

When researching Bible verses for this post, here are a few I came across. Each one presents biblical truths about our work:

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

-1 Corinthians 15:58, KJV

Truth 1: Any work we do for the Lord is not in vain.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

-Colossians 3:23-24, KJV

Truth 2: Any work we do is to be for the Lord Who we are serving, and not for men or potential rewards.

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

-John 6:27, KJV

Truth 3: Any work we do is to be for the meat which endures unto everlasting life, meaning Kingdom work that honors God and makes Him known, rather than meat that perishes, meaning work that will bring us worldly success.

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

-1 John 3:18, KJV

This last verse doesn’t mention labor or work, but I feel that it also applies to our work, and the question we’re asking ourselves: Is our writing a true, biblical labor of love?

We are to love in deed and in truth rather than just saying we do. When taking into consideration the first three scriptures above, this means that if we are truly writing as a biblical labor of love, that we write and publish books with the attitude that our work for the Lord is not in vain, that we work for the Lord and not for the world, and that we work toward the goal of making God known and not ourselves.

It’s easy to say we do this as Christian authors, but my friends, let’s dig deeper. Do we actually live these attitudes out?

Let’s Reflect: Are We Living Out an Attitude of Writing for Jesus, or Writing for Ourselves?

Christian authors, are we practicing what we preach? Are we writing with the goal of glorifying Jesus and making Him known in the world, or have we fallen into the trap of running ourselves ragged, chasing the world and all the “glory” it holds while still touting this is all for the Lord?

If it’s the latter, it’s time to spend some time with Jesus. It’s time to take a step back, allowing God to take the lead again. It’s time to lay down all the worldly aspects of authorship that tempt us down at His feet and remember why we became Christian authors in the first place: to glorify God and make Him known.

Talk to Me, Arrowheads!

If you’ve been going through a season of forgetting your main Why for Christian authorship, I pray that this post has helped you come back into alignment, as the realization has helped me. What worldly aspects of authorship have tempted you the most, and how has the Lord guided you to combat the temptations? Let me know in the comments!

Aim high, stay strong, and always hit your mark.

-Allyson 😀