Faith, Belief, and... Will Someone Please Write My Book Already?

Have you ever felt a struggle between faith and action? Sometimes it's so easy to believe and so hard to actually do, and other times believing in ourselves, in God's call upon our lives, is the hardest thing in the world. So how do we learn to negotiate the space in between the two?

You see people who believe whatever they say will magically poof into being. Hate to break it to you, folks, but you're not a fairy godmother. You need special fairy dust for that. I saw it on Once Upon a Time. And then you have other people who have to be doing something at all times just for that feeling of accomplishment. Like those people who clean their cars every day. I've never understood that... how will you find random dollar bills shoved between the seats years later?

Well, let's look at the story of Abraham. We're all familiar with his situation. God promises to make him the father of many nations. But years go by, and Abraham and Sarah start getting too old to have a child, so Abraham takes matters into his own hands and impregnates Sarah's servant. Clearly this is a mistake, but God still fulfills His promise by giving Abraham another child through Sarah. Seems like Abraham has failed the test, right? And in many ways he has. And yet, what does the Bible say about Abraham's faith?

Romans 4:3-5:

"What does Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness."

Wow! This passages always gets me because Abraham clearly blew it, and yet, God still "credits" his faith as "righteousness" because he never gave up on the promise. What a powerful concept.

If God has placed a calling on your life to write, that calling matters. And believing in this calling begets righteousness and action. Faith should lead to fulfillment as we respond in an appropriate way to the promises God has given us.

But here's my question, and I want to hear what you all think. What does that "appropriate way" look like in reality? Sometimes it's so easy to believe we're called to write, but how do you put action to this belief, especially when tough feedback begins to roll in?

How does "faith" translate for you to actually sitting down in a chair and writing each day?

Defining Moments

Yesterday, one of my students came up to me and told me that he really wants to pass my class, but sometimes he has a hard time finding motivation to do assignments. I told him I'm glad to hear about his enthusiasm, but ultimately, it has to translate into action in order for it to count.

I'm in this mad race to finish all my stuff before conference season. I literally had a dream last night that the woman who runs my favorite ice cream store also happened to be an editor. I pitched her my book while she made my milkshake.

Talk about my subconscious trying to say something...

In any event, I want to encourage you while you also put the finishing touches on your books, or perhaps even race to finish them in time to pitch them. Remember that things in life, particularly large projects like books, are not accomplished suddenly, but by a lot of small steps.

Today has been my "focus on writing" day, and let me tell you, I am already exhausted. I get so jittery when I try to write for a long time! I start finding all sorts of things to look up on the internet or work on around the house. But sometimes, I just have to tell myself a firm, "no," and keep going.

Be encouraged that the finish line is not as far off as it seems, especially if it feels ever-evasive. All of your decisions to work toward a project are forward-moving decisions that will eventually get you to your goal.

Be blessed in your work today.