Let There Be Writingናሙና

Your Writing Reflects the Image of God

So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them. Genesis 1:27 NLT

At the time I’m writing this, over eight billion people inhabit the earth. Imagine all those fingerprints and eyelashes. No two people have the exact same laugh, the same sigh, the same freckles. No one else has your voice either.

It’s easy to look at a world full of words and think yours aren’t needed. Hasn’t it all been said before? The themes we write about are as old as history itself. Every generation has something to say about love, heartbreak, healing, faith, and the journey of being human. But what’s new, what has never existed before, is you.

It can feel safer when we write to try to sound like someone else who we see as successful. Surely there’s less risk if we can be an echo, not an original. But God is not calling you to be a copy; he is calling you to be a reflection.

One thing I often say to writers is, “Be courageous and write in a way that scares you a little.” Why? Because the best writing comes from a place of vulnerability, from showing up as you are, and this is always a little scary. But it is also the way that we show the Imago Dei, the image of God in us.

Be who you are as a writer. Be funny or serious, bold or gentle, whimsical or practical. Write stories or reports, nonfiction or novels, social media posts or poetry in a tattered notebook. Use lots of words or just a few.

Despite what the “experts” say, there is no right way to write. There are over eight billion right ways to write. Imagine all those stories and truths. No two people have the same sentences, the same exclamations, the same endings. No one else has your voice. No one is made in the image of God in the same way you are. The best gift you can offer the world as a writer is you!

God, thank you for creating me in your image. Give me the courage to share who I am with the world through my words. Amen.

What helps you be courageous and write in a way that scares you a little?