With the availability of- fered by the Internet, people have access to countless blogs and articles on topics ranging from prayer to
how;to;have;eye-turning;fingernails.;In
the age of the printed word, where anything is publishable, it is easy to lose
touch;with;what;makes;writing;special.
Writing is not a man-made invention
to be used however we please but a gift
from God created for His pleasure. Writing at its best is not mere self-expression
but self-expression aiming to honor God
by drawing attention to His beauty, holiness, genius, and goodness.
The challenge of writing well goes
deeper than finding words with hairsplitting accuracy or understanding the
artistry of the semicolon (as important as
that;is).;Parents;must;also;train;children
to appreciate writing for the power it has
to;awaken;peoples’;affections;to;know,
love, and serve God. I want to share seven ways parents can prepare young aspir-ing;authors;to;write;for;God’s;glory.
1. Understand the Influence
of Reading
What;we;read;strongly;influences;how
we;write.;Reading;is;the;act;of;thinking
about and enjoying writing. If young
people read writing material (including
audio, which is writing read aloud) with
little to no regard for God, their writing
is;likely;to;reflect;this.;First;Corinthians
13: 13 says, “And now abide faith, hope,
love, these three; but the greatest of these is
love.” 1 The greatest true story ever written
is;about;the;sacrificial;love;of;Jesus;Christ.
Serious writers need consistent exposure
to writing that points to and echoes the
love story of Jesus for His Church. It is
impossible to write too much about the
love of Christ.
2. Study the Qualities of
Perfect Writing
There;is;a;perfect;textbook;for;teaching
writing—the Bible. The Bible is not a
single;book;but;rather;is;a;collection;of
books.;This;divinely;crafted;library;spans
thousands;of;years;of;history,;reflecting
nearly every genre of writing, from po-etry;to;prophecy.;What;book;can;surpass
the;wisdom;of;Proverbs?;What;story;cap-tures;dignified;romance;like;the;book;of
Ruth?;What;work;is;more;instructive;on
prayer;than;Psalms?
The;Bible;surpasses;all;other;writing
textbooks;because;it;is;second;to;none
in;making;holiness;appear;desirable;and
sin;unappealing.;Isaiah;5: 20 says, “Woe
unto them that call evil good, and good
evil; that put darkness for light, and light
for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and
sweet for bitter!” One common temptation of writers is mixing up good and
evil.;Sadly,;books;that;elevate;corruption
over;honor;often;sell;better.;The;Bible;is;a
book;that;disables;man’s;natural;tenden-cy;to;choose;darkness;over;light.
3. Look to Others
Proverbs;27: 17;says,;“Iron sharpeneth iron;
so a man sharpeneth the countenance of
his friend.” Writing is a team sport. Yes, an
author’s;name;sits;alone;on;a;book’s;cover,
but;the;Acknowledgements;page;reveals
how many other people were involved.
Whether writing an essay or a novel, writers need the counsel and encouragement
of others. One of the best gifts I ever received was an all-expense-paid trip to a
Christian writing conference. Listening to
lectures by published writers and getting
feedback;on;my;work;renewed;and;clari-fied;my;vision;on;writing;for;God’s;glory.
If attendance at a conference is too
expensive, consider attending a writing group (many libraries have one) or
124;Annual;Print;Book;2014;•;Grooming;Great;Writers;www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
Writing
for;God’s;Glory
By;Randy;Saller
I want to share seven ways parents can prepare
young;aspiring;authors;to;write;for;God’s;glory.
