An introvert’s discovery by Claire Musters

With the lovely Maria at Premier.

 Yes I’m introvert by nature. I would quite happily crawl under a duvet with a laptop, write away and never have to face anyone. So, as I know I have expressed before when we’ve had discussions on the subject, the idea of self-promotion and pushing myself forward has always left me cold. Not least because as Christians we have to tread an uneasy line between dying to self and promoting ourselves in order to sell our writing!

Just in the last month, however, I have preached, appeared on Premier Radio for the first time and spoken at a women’s breakfast – and I LOVED it all! If anyone had told me I would be doing those kinds of things a few years ago I would have laughed at them. Because I am the person who, when I first joined a worship band in church, used to sit up all of Saturday night crying because I was petrified at the thought of playing in front of people. The poor guitarist / band leader – most Sunday mornings he would get a call from me saying I couldn’t possibly play after having had no sleep…

Speaking at the women's breakfast.

But back to the present day. After feedback from publishers saying they loved my book proposal but, while I had a great writing resume it was my speaking one that was lacking, I felt a challenge from God. Another trusted writer and speaker gave me some advice: don’t just speak for the sake of it; find out whether you are meant to first. So I took time to pray and seek God about it. And suddenly, as if by a reply, various opportunities for me to speak came my way – and, mostly, on the subject of my WIP!

Of course, part of me responded by telling myself – and God – that I couldn’t possibly do it all. That there are far too many wonderful extroverts out there that are so natural, so funny – why would people want to hear me? But it was while I was wandering around Wisley (in the rain – it was free entry day ;) ), preparing for the preach and radio appearance, that I was really struck by how God knows me better than I know myself. My WIP is all about the journey of learning to live authentically and, for myself, I have seen how I have disqualified myself from certain things (such as playing in a worship band – I now head up our whole team and sing regularly!). And yet God hasn’t.

In discovering who I am beneath the masks I used to wear, I am finding that God has some very different ideas about who I am called to be – and they are so exciting, energising (and, yes, sometimes a tad scary). God has been speaking to me about how I have unique things to bring to what He is inviting me to do and, rather than compare myself to others, I should rest in that knowledge. What an exhilarating ride life can be!

Claire is a freelance writer and editor, mum to two gorgeous young children, pastor’s wife, worship leader and school governor. Claire’s desire is to help others draw closer to God through her writing, which focuses on authenticity, marriage, parenting, worship, discipleship, issues facing women today etc. Her books include Taking your Spiritual Pulse, CWR’s Insight Into Managing Conflict  and Insight Into Self-acceptance, Cover to Cover: David A man after God’s own heart and BRF Foundations21 study guides on Prayer and Jesus. She also writes a regular column for Christian Today as well as Bible study notes, and her next co-written book, Insight Into Burnout, is due out in 2017. She is also working on her own book Taking off the mask: learning to live authentically. To find out more about her, please visit www.clairemusters.com and @CMusters on Twitter.