The Power in You

The Power in You
Tuesday, June 16, 2020 by Cindy Sproles

You are not alone in this venture to become a writer. You don't have the privilege to whine and whimper that writing is hard or no one wants your work. Get over it. You're not alone.

I dare say, there isn't a writer alive who hasn't felt the struggle of learning the craft or who hasn't felt the sting of numerous rejections (all in a row). It's part of the process.

My Momma used to say, "If it's worth havin’, then the work is worth doin’." She was and still is, right. If I find myself whining a tiny bit, my 92-year-old Momma is quick to nip it in the bud. After all, she should know. She's a master quilter and her work is amazing. Her fingers are bent, knuckles swollen from arthritis, but Mom continues to turn out quilt after quilt with masterful skill. She amazes me and when I ask her what prompts her determination to keep on keeping on, she is quick to remind me, God has empowered her with a gift. It's not up to her when to stop. It's up to her to do it to the best of her ability until Christ takes her home.

I often hear the frustration in the voices of new writers. Things are not progressing as quickly as they feel they should. Welcome to the world of publishing. The wheel is mighty and it turns mighty slow. To be successful in this industry, one must learn three things:

Nothing worth having is easy. It requires work. Hard work.
Rejection is a gift. Not a slap in the face. Rejection is the key that unlocks success. With each locked door you face, you hold the key to unlock it. You only have to continue to strive for success.
God can do immeasurably more in you than you can imagine

But you say, “I’ll never be published. It’s been ___ years.”

My rebuttal is this. For every good writer sitting next to you, there are three more who are better. The competition will always exist. Your choice lays in the decision to self-publish what you have because you’re impatient or be willing to wait. Before you get the fur on your back ruffled, I’m not against self-publishing IF authors do it right. What does that mean?

Do your homework and make a business decision not a heart decision
Don’t skip the steps to make your book the best it can be (editing, cover, etc.)
Don’t launch into a business venture without a substantial platform to sell these books. When you self-publish, you alone are sales and marketing.
When you’ve weighed these steps and feel you’ve got a handle on it. Self-publish.

There is great joy in holding the trophy of our work in our hands. The book. It’s beautiful. We feel successful. It may or may not sell, but we have our book. There is so much more to writing as a Christian than just publishing a book.

We are gifted with this passion to pen words. It burns deep in our souls, but we are looking at the success, in a printed copy. Sometimes, success is simply meant for the person sitting next to you.

I encourage you to flip open the pages of your Bible and read Ephesians 3:20-21( NIV)
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.~

The apostle Paul reminded us we are all able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine. Our problem is, we don't ask or imagine. We just do, never allowing God to work in and through us. If we are unsuccessful we throw up our hands in frustration rather than asking for the unimaginable through Him who will do it for us.

I realize everyone reading this post is not a believer. It doesn’t matter. The words are still valid for you. You simply need to embrace them.

Think about Paul's words. To Him who is ABLE to do IMMEASURABLY MORE than we ASK or IMAGINE, according to his POWER that is AT WORK WITH IN US. Did you realize you had such power at your fingertips? Well, you do.

Success is not free but it is attainable with hard work. This day in time, to be a Christian writer is especially difficult. That’s why you stand your ground against the world that pleads with you to take the easy route. Stay the course. Realize the gift God has placed before you and understand He is able to do immeasurably more than you ask or imagine. Then ask. Imagine!

You can write. You can. You can, because He is in you working to do more than you imagine.

Photo courtesy of morguefile.com and hotblack.

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