Group Effort: Wednesday in the Word

Group EffortIt’s a group effort. It takes a village to raise a child. No man is an island.

Can you think of any other phrases relating to our need for each other? I bet you can. There are many more out there.

As an author, I tend to think the opposite is true. God gifted me with this ministry, this way of encouraging others to live their faith, that feels like an individual more than a team sport. I write in my home without anyone else around. Even in marketing, I create and share graphics from the fortress of solitude known as my office.

But looks are deceiving. Before stories get to readers, they go to multiple editors, cover designers, layout people, and pre-publishing readers. The local Christian writers group I’m in also reads it.

That’s a lot of hands for my stories to pass through. And while necessary, those aren’t even the most important ones involved in my books. Yes, we can all agree that following what God has for you is the highest goal, but I’m talking about the physical carrying out of the ministry. One thing can’t be forgotten. That’s the people the ministry gives to.

I write because I love it. Because I love God, I write Christian fiction. But each individual story comes with a prayer that God will use it to encourage and challenge other believers to grow in their faith, just as He’s used each of my stories and countless other Christian stories in my own faith.

God’s given me the opportunity to do something I love to help spread the gospel, to share His truth with others. Many of those, I may never meet. But they’re still there. They’re reading the books I write, enjoying the stories I’ve told, and prayerfully, taking something away that grows or encourages their faith. Then, they go out and live their faith where others can see it. They may even share that book with someone else, giving God the opportunity to speak into another life through my fictional characters.

In every way, being an author is a group effort. And it’s because of this, I have a deeper understanding and appreciation for Paul’s words in Philippians 1:3-5. “I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.”

Don’t misunderstand. I’m not comparing myself to Paul, leading the early church. But I’m doing my part to share the truth of God’s word in the way God has blessed me to do it. As readers, you’re part of that. I want you to know I pray for you just like Paul prayed for the churches he ministered to. With joy, I thank God for the ways you’ve supported me and pray God will somehow use my words to touch your lives. I pray for you because you are an integral part of this ministry He’s given me. And I pray for you because God loves you, and I want you to know that on a soul deep level.

Thank you for being part of this group effort in sharing God’s love with others. I truly appreciate it.

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