Have you ever thought about what it means to find your voice as a writer?
I once read a quote that I found to be inspiring:
“Finding your voice is about mastering that translation of neurons as they fire between synopses, somehow using words to make sense of them and hopefully communicating something close to the idea, feeling or picture in your head.”
The more I thought about it though, I began to realize that being a Christian writer—or as God calls it: ‘a ready writer’ (Psalm 45:1)—is not the same as being any other kind of writer.
So how do we find our voice?
As Christian writers, finding our voice is about identifying with the voice of Christ. Who are we in Christ? How does Jesus change everything?
Well, I have learned one way Jesus changes everything is that I no longer have to be a victim of my heart and thoughts. My heart left to itself can lead me astray.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Our writer's voice cannot simply be a translation of the heart, but it needs to be tempered by the Holy Spirit as He leads.
We can capture our thoughts and feelings and let God's Word be the filter through which we write...what does God's Word say is true?
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
The first definition above talked about physical neurons and synapses and the attempt to translate into words what the flesh is producing.
As Christian writers, our voice can be a translation of what the Spirit is producing!
What is it that we have to say that will encourage others? Our voices can speak for the glory of God as we share our faith through the words we write.
We find our voice as Christian writers by yielding our hearts to the leading of the holy spirit.
I'm so thankful that God, through His Spirit, enables us to write the very words that He knows will reach another heart for Christ!
