Using your story to bring hope
1:00 AM
As Christian authors, our goal is not just to entertain, but also to build up our fellow believers. So how do we achieve this?
The foundation of a story that will build people's hope is honesty. What do I mean by that? If we're addressing a topic, we need to honest (even though our characters) about how complicated it can be. If we are addressing a struggle, we need to let our readers see the reality of that struggle and not try to white-wash it. This often means you need first-hand knowledge of the struggle or a lot of research. If it's a historic piece or covers a social issue, this means being honest and true to the times and/or the complexity of an issue.
The foundation of a story that will build people's hope is honesty. What do I mean by that? If we're addressing a topic, we need to honest (even though our characters) about how complicated it can be. If we are addressing a struggle, we need to let our readers see the reality of that struggle and not try to white-wash it. This often means you need first-hand knowledge of the struggle or a lot of research. If it's a historic piece or covers a social issue, this means being honest and true to the times and/or the complexity of an issue.
If you want to share hope, you need to stay grounded in God's word. You can't impart what you don't possess. If you want to impart real hope to others, make sure you're grounded and filled with the source of your hope.
Make sure to check your message against the truth. Does your message align with the Bible? Do the facts check out? Get advice from others. Double-checking is important.
When I'm sick, it's easy to take medicine to deal with a symptom. It's a lot harder to make sure I'm doing things to get rid of the virus. In the same way, it's a lot easier as authors to deal with surface issues like anger, lies, and bitterness. To bring hope and healing, it's important that we address the root of the problem. I heard the illustration once that if you tell a kid to stop hitting a sibling, that's fine, but they will act out another way. Address anger, the importance of self-control, and forgiveness, you won't just end the behavior, you are dealing with the heart of the issue.
Write from the hope within you. God has done some amazing things in your life and brought hope into some of your dark moments. Write from those experiences and share them with others. There is nothing like reading a book where it's obvious the author is writing about how God brought hope and healing in their own heart.
What do you think? How do you feel we as writers can share hope?
What do you think? How do you feel we as writers can share hope?
2 comments
I love this! And so true! This is one of the biggest reasons I do write! I want to share the hope we have in Christ, particularly as one faces grief and loss.
ReplyDeleteAlways topics that can help people so much. Keep it up!
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