How do you know if you are called to write?

How do you know if you are called to write?

As I typed the words on the paper, mixed emotions filled my mind. Were my words worth it? Did they make any difference? The sacrifices made felt weighty in the moment, and the sting of a recent rejection made me feel foolish to continue my quest to be a “writer.”

This calling to write can sometimes feel uncertain, especially when we try to confirm our calling by our performance or “success” instead of by the gifts and passion that God has placed in us. Our calling was never meant to be validated by numbers. And success is more about faithfulness than it is popularity. 

How do we know we are called to write? In times of uncertainty, rejection or discouragement, we begin to question ourselves… and maybe even God. My friends, read on to discover five ways to put those questions to rest.

Still, we can struggle to know that our calling is confirmed when it seems the words on the page are not making it to people’s hearts. Our heart is changed even as we write, but this does not seem to be what Jesus meant when He said to go.

So how do you know that you are called to write?

1) Passion. You can’t not write. Yes, I know that is a double negative. Even in the face of rejections and the struggle to make time for what your soul loves, there is this passion that you cannot hide. Don’t let the seeming obscurity of your writing endeavors prevent you from doing what your soul was made for. The number of people in an audience was never supposed to be our motivation in the first place. Don’t let anyone else’s estimation of your calling trump God’s.

2) Inspiration. You sense God’s presence and are amazed at what God gives you as you spend time writing with Him. It is a place of worship for you, in which the words heal you as you write them. If for no other reason than time in worship with God, it is worth it to write.

3) Conviction. You have had a moment where you knew God was telling you to write. It might have been a blog post. A devotion. A song. Or maybe even a book. Somehow this story that is yours and God’s needs to be shared. This is biblical. (Matthew 28:10) We were told to go and share the gospel, and this includes our testimonies. When you sense friction in this calling, follow the conviction. Have appropriate boundaries, but be diligent to cultivate the message that God has placed in your heart.

4) Compassion. Your soul aches for others as you craft each word. You find yourself praying, or weeping even, to help others understand God through their trials. This is where we see our struggles come full circle. “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.” (2 Corinthians 1:4a, NLT)

5) Foundation. Even with busy schedules, you crave time to slip away and write. Writing is the foundation of what you do and who you are. You think better by writing to process your thoughts.

Our calling to write is not validated by our feelings. If we are willing to examine our hearts and sift through what distracts us from the pure desire to write, we discover that our calling is not as complicated as it seems. We were made to create in chorus with our Creator — the most glorious message of all. Other people’s opinions, perceived or real, do not determine this calling. Success is not measured by numbers but by faithfulness. God receiving glory through our writing is the highest measure of success for our work.

Blessings,

 Denise Pass

 

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Biblical-mindset coach, author, speaker, worship leader, podcaster, with an M.A. in biblical exposition, Denise is the author of Make Up Your Mind, Shame Off You, 31 Days of Hope Reinvented, and other discipleship books. She serves on the writing team for Proverbs 31 Ministries’ First 5 app and COMPEL and has a daily broadcast/podcast through her Bible Tribe® reading plan. Denise home-schooled her five children; four recently graduated from college, and her youngest adoptive son is a senior in high school. She is the Family Ministries and Worship Arts Director at her church. Denise and her husband live near Fredericksburg, VA.

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  1. Thank you for such an encouraging post. I appreciate everything you said, especially “God receiving glory through our writing is the highest measure of success.”
    I will refer back to this teaching often.
    God bless you.

  2. I needed this for sure! This quote in particular really hit home as I try to navigate through the busyness of life and still do what I’m called to do. Thank you!

    “If we are willing to examine our hearts and sift through what distracts us from the pure desire to write, we discover that our calling is not as complicated as it seems.”

  3. Every single “yes” to this post, which landed in my inbox at exactly the right time. I can’t not write. In seasons where I have tried to focus on other things, it still spills out of me on the edges of my church bulletins or scattered post-its. Thank you, Denise, for clarity.