The Fruits of the Spirit for Writers (Part Two) by Rebecca Seaton

 

The Fruits of the Spirit for Writers (Part Two) by Rebecca Seaton

Following on from last month, I’ve been looking at some of the fruits of the Spirit that could seem more wishy-washy at first glance but are actually far from it…

 

                                             

    My author mug: an example of a friend's faithful support.

Kindness seems an obvious one. With #BeKind trending across social media, the intention to be kind is certainly there. However, actually living it is much harder – and much less evident in the world. God empowers us to be kind, something that has a particularly significant impact when giving feedback. It is possible to give criticism without attack and this can build up a fellow writer in the same way God convicts us but does not condemn.

 

Goodness is often confused with kindness but is more about a moral goodness. This isn’t the same as self-righteousness, which speaks of ‘Look how good I am’ but instead of a depth of knowledge of what God says is good. We often become aware of this fruit in us when given a choice. Maybe it feels right to go with a certain publisher or wrong to include certain content, not because someone tells us but because we know it to be right.

 

Faithfulness is about being true all the time. It starts with being true to God but extends to being faithful to people. This means being honest, meaning what we say, doing not just saying.

 

Gentleness is the opposite of pride. It means putting others first. It is how we enact the fruits of love and kindness. Maybe we can let others read their piece and forego our turn, maybe we think about sharing a platform; the limelight does not belong to us.

 

Self-control is a key fruit to counteract the deadly sins, in particular the sins of greed and envy. Before we lunge for what we want, or mutter about what another has, self-control enables us to consider other options: we can recognise the skill and hard work of other writers, we can choose to seek their advice and fellowship rather than sulk or complain.

 

Ultimately, if we accept our writing gift as from Him, it must also be for Him; to glorify Him, to point the way to Him and to be an encouragement to the people around us, who are His creation too.

 

#amwriting #amwritingfantasy #ACW     

 

Rebecca earned second place in the 2017-18 Pen to Print Book Challenge with her first novel, A Silent Song. She is currently working on a fantasy trilogy involving a prophet, a dodgy queen and a powerful relic.