Skip to main content

Devotional Sermon #78: THE WRITER IN YOU - Short Christian devotional stories with moral lessons


As soon as my first book hit the market, I started to receive e-mail messages, phone calls, and short messages on my mobile phone from people from various places and backgrounds. Some wanted to congratulate me just for having published the book. Some wanted advice on how they could go about it. 
 
Some who contacted me wanted to provide much-needed constructive criticism. It is true that critics, especially those who are strangers, can give very useful comments on anything because they have nothing to lose by calling a spade a spade.

This article is directed to a special group of people. You might have something in common with this group.

Each member of this group asked me a question that goes something like this: “I have always wanted to write but still have not started. It seems like I am hesitating. I may actually end up discarding the idea. Do you think I too could be a writer?”

This is an important question. I am going to give you my thoughts on it; the comments might assist you.

Here is a useful saying: “All human activity is prompted by desire” - (Bertrand Russel). Desire is the first step; without it, nothing gets done. If you have the desire to write you satisfy one of the two primary prerequisites
 
Here is the second prerequisite: “If you wish to be a writer, write” - (Epictetus). This is a call to action. The desire to write is necessary but not sufficient; you have to take the required next step - write!

What I have found useful as a start is not to worry much about the quality of your writing. Just write on paper exactly what's on your mind. Quality issues will be addressed after writing. If you have not written anything, why worry about quality? In this sense, quality issues become secondary!

Honestly, I cannot say whether you could write like I do or not (as some have sought to). I actually think that it would be improper for you to even try to write like me or like any other person. I do not write like anybody; I write like me. That's important!

Your writing style should be unique; it should be yours. You will not succeed by copying other people’s styles, because such people are already quite polished at it - they have been using the style for decades! Adopting a unique writing style might bring in a level of differentiation that might in turn help to reduce competition to some degree.

I was reading something the other day, probably a book or magazine when I came across a powerful quote. The quote went something like this, “If there is something that you are dying to tell, advise or teach the world, and you can arrange ideas in a logical manner, then you can write.”

I found this statement truly encouraging!

The only difference between writers and non-writers is that writers write, and non-writers don’t.

If you want to be a writer, write. If you want to be a teacher, teach. One does not become a teacher by obtaining a teaching degree. A teacher teaches. If he does not teach, then he is not a teacher even if he holds a teaching degree. So even if you have some brilliant writing ideas but still haven't written them down, then you still are not a writer! You might qualify for some form of storage facility!

I am a writer because I write. I developed an interest in writing around 1984, but only started writing in 2004, a whole twenty years later! I could have started before 1990 if I had been serious then.

Come to think of it, almost everybody has written something in their lifetime. Even pupils in primary school write stories. They have been taught how to arrange paragraphs, to ensure that they do not mix up issues. They have been taught that first things should come first and that the end should come at the end. It is common knowledge that when one writes about a journey that they undertook, they don’t start by saying, “When I arrived…”

The question is: do you have something that you are dying to tell, teach or advise people? If you have, then you've got a good foundation; you have the motivation to write. If you are not sure, then how would you even start?

I am always dying to tell the whole world about somebody. I just cannot remain silent about Him. That somebody, whom I am dying to tell people about, is Jesus. Jesus is the primary objective of my writing.

I do not mean that every writer should write on the same subject. You could have a different subject, but the bottom line is the same; it should be a subject that excites you!

If you write about a subject that you are passionate about you will not face many difficulties. I always tell people that I never run out of ideas; I only run out of time. There is so much to tell the world about the Lord!

I know what to write about, and I am passionate about it. When you see me walking down the street, be sure that ideas are with me always. “What should I write about next? What title would be most appropriate? What about the content?” These questions are always with me wherever I go.

Sometimes I wake up in the dead of the night to write. One day I got up three times to write things down. Inspiration just flooded me as soon as I got into bed. I don't delay putting pen to paper or finger to the keyboard when ideas show up; so, I get up and write them down, lest in the morning I fail to remember what it was that had visited me.

If you focus on a specific subject, ideas will come to you, as if by some law. An appropriate title for an article or book can come to you as you polish your shoes. You need to keep a small notebook on hand so that you immediately write down ideas as they come.

You might be wondering why I am so passionate about my writing. 
 
Writing, as you might appreciate, is not an end in itself; it should be purposeful. Take for example works of fiction and consider this quote: “There are two motives for reading a book; one, that you enjoy it; the other, that you can boast about it.” (Bertrand Russell). This means that when one writes works of fiction, their aim is that readers might enjoy the piece of writing or get an opportunity to just boast that they have read it.

Therefore, when I say I am passionate about my writing, I actually mean that I am passionate about what my writing is intended to achieve. I am passionate about souls, to win them over to Christ, and encourage them to be steadfast. That's my dominant motive.

One statement, given by the Master, jolted me into action. Immediately after reading it, I began to urge my fellow countrymen and those beyond to focus on what should be the number one priority in their lives. The statement that I refer to goes like this: "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8 Verses 36–37). I hope that you now appreciate my motivation.

So, if you want to be a writer, start writing today. Start by writing a small plan on your chosen subject. You could end up surprised at how much you used to underrate yourself!
 
Do it today. Do it now. Don't procrastinate.
 
I came across an interesting definition of procrastination as I was surfing social media. It goes like this:  ".... the arrogant assumption that God owes you another opportunity to do what you had time to do." This got me thinking.

After writing my first book, I was later surprised that I had written something that went on to generate lots of interest among readers. So, by just sitting there you could actually be holding back value from the world!

I hope that I have helped you, or generated controversy. Whatever the case, I think it was worth it.

Popular posts from this blog

Devotional Sermon #116: WALKING IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD - One of our most powerful sermons of all time

Do whatever He tells you to do. His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he [Jesus] tells you.” John 2 Verse 5 [NIV] Do you struggle with obeying God? Or do you question why you need to obey God at all? "What's the point?" some wonder. This message discusses one good example of obedience to God from the Bible, to inspire the believer. Christians should strive to obey God always and to keep their will aligned to God's will and purpose for their lives. The Holy Spirit is our ever-present helper in this regard. This message demonstrates the power of walking in obedience to God and of living a life that is fully surrendered to Him. Your plans and your decisions should always align to God's will. Oh, how important obedience to God is! How blessed they are those who live in the perfect will of God! But what does it mean to obey God, in our context? What does it take to obey Him? In my view, obeying God means hearing His voice (through reading the written Word, o

Devotional Sermon #115: SETTING A GOOD CHRISTIAN EXAMPLE TO OTHERS - Short daily devotions and prayers

Philip found Nathanael and told him,  “ We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. ” “ Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? ”  Nathanael asked. “ Come and see. ”  said Philip. John 1 Verses 45-46 [NIV] Nazareth was a despised town. That is why Nathanael was taken by surprise that Jesus could have come from there. Nazareth was regarded as a desert, where nothing useful was expected to grow. Nathanael's surprise was quite revealing;  "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.     What a viewpoint! People could be viewing your country, city, or village in a similar light. "Can anything good come from there?" they may be wondering. Yours might be a locality that is expected to produce nothing good. Despite this, I encourage you to surprise people like Jesus did Nathanael by originating from Nazareth. I urge you to surprise people, for the glory of God

Devotional Sermon #60: DEATH & BEREAVEMENT - Message of hope after losing a loved one

The death of a loved one is always a tragic incident  to the family. The sorrow normally is so powerful that it casts a dense and dark shadow over the bereaved. Time appears to freeze. Nothing seems to matter anymore. It is a time of mourning - an episode that none of us can get accustomed to no matter how many times one might have experienced death in the family. Help is desperately and urgently required if those affected are to quickly find the strength to cope with their loss. This sermon attempts to offer hope and comfort to the grieving. I hope you will find encouragement after you are done reading it. You may understand, from past experiences, the message that I am trying to convey here. The distress and emptiness caused by the death of a family member or any other loved one are normally very difficult to imagine and absorb; sometimes the loss comes suddenly, and thus totally unexpected.    It is hard to cope with the death of a mother, father, sister, brother, child, or fri

Devotional Sermon #114: SHOW THEM JESUS - Powerful daily devotions

“The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.” John 1  Verses  35-37 [NIV] This is an excellent example of, and lesson on, how to lead people to salvation; a good example of how to win souls for Christ. This was a very effective method, in my view, judging by the results achieved.  Soul winning is probably the most important activity that the Christian should undertake for the sake of both the Lord and mankind - bringing souls into God's Kingdom. Tell somebody about Christ before the day ends; win them over to Christ! This is the spirit of the above-cited bible scripture. You are a Christian, and are now enjoying the benefits of salvation, because somebody took it upon themselves to win you over to Christ. They might not have shared the Word with you; instead, they might just have invited you to a place where the Word was shared, as happen

Devotional Sermon #113: THE VOICE CALLING IN THE WILDERNESS - Free daily devotionals

“ Finally,  they said, ‘Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself? ”   John 1: Verse 22 "I am the voice calling in the desert."  "I am the voice crying out in the wilderness." That was John's answer. That is what Christians should say about themselves; that's what Christians should be in this life. That is what you should say about yourself, and honestly so. You should be seen to be calling out, to be truly crying out for the salvation of mankind. It would be unfair of you to claim that you call out or cry out when you never do. But then why should you act dumb when you can speak? God expects the Christian to be ever calling out, ever crying out, for noble reasons. While John cried out to prepare people for the first coming of Jesus, we should of necessity also cry out because Jesus is coming for the second time, this time not as a baby in a manger, but as a roaring lion, the King of Kings! That's wh

Devotional Sermon #112: THE SECRET OF GOD'S BLESSING AND FAVOR - Our most inspiring sermons of all time

"From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another." John 1  Verse  16 [NIV] I am going to share with you a personal perspective on God's blessings, the way that I have decided to approach the issue for myself. Some Christians probably take the same view, but I believe there are many who hold a different view, and that's perfectly acceptable. There are many things that a Christian is required to do, consistent with their Christian faith. Giving in church is one of them, sacrificial giving for that matter. We should give because we are supposed to behave exactly as our Lord did as He walked the earth. We are only good to the extent that we are like Him. If you give, you walk in the likeness of Christ. If you don't, you walk in the unlikeness of Christ. That's as simple as it can get. I give because my mission is to be like Christ in the world. I give to make a contribution towards the Ministry of the Holy Spirit which has made me st

Devotional Sermon #102: RAISING HOPE IN DIFFICULT TIMES - Daily devotions for women’s encouragement

I have observed and have become convinced that there are just two kinds of people in this world. The lives of these two kinds of people are as different as day is to night. Only two kinds, not more, not less. That is the message of this textual sermon. There are various difficulties, challenges, trials, and tribulations in this world, but only two kinds of people. There are various levels of poverty, but only two kinds of people. There are various forms of sickness and disease, but only two kinds of people. You put the two groups under the same kind and level of difficulty or pressure, and they react differently. It's amazing. Whatever challenging situation you face today, you are either hopeful or hopeless about it. These are the two kinds of people that I have been referring to - one kind is of the hopeful,  the other is of the hopeless , regarding a specific challenge that they might be facing in their lives at any particular time.   You are either hopeful or hopeless about y

Devotional Sermon #110: LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE GOD AND MANKIND - Short powerful devotions

"The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." John 1  Verse  5 [NIV ] This bible verse refers to Jesus Christ, the One who was in existence in the beginning. It refers to Jesus as 'the light'. According to the Bible, the life of Christ is the light of mankind. This is remarkable; it means that those who have His life have this kind of light in them - the light of mankind. And it's not just about having this light in you, you must let that light show through you, for there would be no point in lighting a candle if you go on to hide it under a bushel! This is probably the greatest lesson you will ever learn about how to be a light that shines in the darkness. You must first accept Christ, the light, so that you may be saved. The life of Jesus Christ is the source of light. In other words, Jesus Christ is the light of mankind. He shines in the darkness and confounds it; not only that, but the darkness has not and cannot overcome this li

Devotional Sermon #101: YES, YOU CAN DO IT - Daily devotions for today

I remember the time when I was still a teenager. I kept grudges; real grudges, I mean. I did not know how to forgive; neither did I have the willingness to do so. If somebody did me wrong, they were supposed to pay for it! I was a stranger to God back then - I had never experienced the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in my life. Any talk about God actually had a jarring effect to my ears; it still does to some folks. I also would tremble in anger, sometimes to the point of shedding tears - even against an elder! I recall a day I got so angry at an elder that he almost fell off the chair on which he was sitting. The elder was evidently wrong; I could not tolerate it anymore - but seething in anger did not make me right either - it's only that I did not know at the time and actually felt justified in my actions. But since then the Lord has re-molded me. Praise to His Holy Name!  If you see me now, you see a totally different person. Simple. I now can forgive and do forgive. I

Devotional Sermon #111: I AM NOT THE CHRIST - Short easy sermons

"He (John) himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light." John 1  Verse  8 [NIV] I think we are in some kind of problem as the body of Christ. The problem, in my view, is that an increasing numbe r of men and women, even teens and senior citizens are, whether by word or deed, trying to take the place of Christ. Haven't you ever come across church denominations in which congregants seem to, or actually, worship the leader? That's idolatry! The congregants appear not to acknowledge Christ, and by their actions, neither do they seem to have anything to do with Him. All they are eager to do is please their leader, with the leader becoming an idol in God's sight. Never worship other gods. Never worship false gods. Never worship idols. Never worship your pastor. That is what God expects each one of us never to do!  I have earlier claimed that a Christian, because of their relationship with Christ, is actually a light. Jesus is 'the source light