When God Calls
Delighted to introduce you to guest blogger Mary Weins, writer, speaker, and Bible teacher. Mary has worked in various women’s ministries and led Bible study groups in homes, churches, and prison ministries.
I “met” Mary through one of my online writers’ groups. A while ago, we agreed to exchange guest posts on each other’s blogs. Today is Mary’s day! Her new book, Letter from Paul: To the church in Galatia…and Us! combines Christian fiction with “an easy-to-read Bible study, with personal commentary and questions to enhance readers’ understanding of how the letter relates to their lives.” Read on to hear Mary’s journey into writing this book.
When God Calls You to Write a Book
For over four years, I thought about writing Letter From Paul: To the Church in Galatia…and Us! I never felt it was good enough. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to write it. I couldn’t afford to publish it. Doubts invaded my mind, and I stalled—writer’s block.
When I asked God if I was supposed to write the book, I also asked how. What if I wasn’t a good enough writer? What should I include or leave out? How should it be formatted? Finally, God convinced me—write the book!
"Is there something you've wanted to do and felt God was leading you to do? We often delay grasping opportunities out of fear. In particular, fear of the unknown. What if it doesn't work? What if I go broke in the process? What if my body can't handle it? Fears can be a convenient excuse to avoid God's leading."
What if you listed the positives and negatives of doing it? Consider each negative. How could you eliminate or minimize it? Do the positives outweigh the negatives? Check in with God, our best source of direction.
At certain times in my life when I felt uncertain, I would go to God in prayer and think He said to proceed. But I still felt uneasy. Through painful experiences, I’ve learned that uneasy feeling is God letting me know to abandon an idea or seek His counsel on how to continue.
Alignment
If you genuinely seek God’s direction, and your plan aligns with His, and he convinces you to proceed, doubt vanishes. Letter From Paul came so fiercely and vividly in my mind—just how He wanted it written. First, I wrote an overview of the Book of Galatians, then a story depicting each chapter’s message, making it relevant to today. Next, I wrote the in-depth Bible study for each chapter’s verse.
Then I designed two sets of study questions. The first was to provoke readers to think about each verse before applying it to their lives. Those designed for personal application prompted readers to think about how the verse related to their lives.
Finally, each chapter concluded with “Something to Ponder”—the chapter’s theme—a prayer, and a page for reflection.
Knowing it was the will of God, I wrote and finished the book in six months. While I had done the studies before writing the book, I was amazed how quickly I wrote it once I received the go-ahead from God.
There is a reason God doesn’t give green lights. Maybe we have some growing to do or actions to take before starting a project. God will let us know loud and clear when it is time. Listen to Him!
“Those right with God, who are without blame, make a straight way for themselves, but the sinful will fall by their own wrong-doing.” Proverbs 11:5 (NLV)
