Understanding Outcome over Effort

 In the world of professional sport in particular, much is made of the effort needed to achieve even a moderate amount of success. An old adage goes that when the records are examined in future years, very rarely does anybody remember who came second. In some ways this is a reflection on life itself.

In 1 Corinthians 9: 24,  St Paul who knew a thing or two about outcome and effort wrote the following, "Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it." 

 Image Credit: Pinterest.com 

In verses 25-26 he goes further, "Athletes exercise self-control in all things: they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air."

As writers we all have our own way of doing things regardless of the genre with which we choose to express ourselves and to our intended audiences. Are we the disciplined kind like the best athletes, focusing on the outcome and how to get there knowing that competition can be fierce and opportunities not as plentiful as they once might have been? Or, are we like many creative types, waiting for that inspiration which comes often when we least expect it or drifting between various ideas going from here to there and back again? 

With the advent of AI particularly ChatGPT - something my wife wants to get me into particularly with sermon writing but which I am so far resisting - you could ask, do we really need to spend all that extra effort of researching, making notes, writing the draft in longhand before typing (my preferred option), taking the opportunity to benchmark other writers, to network, or perhaps worse, fail to learn from past experiences and ignore the wealth of unused material at our disposal? Sometimes shortcuts are not the rapid answer they seem to be.   

Out of curiosity I did google ChapGPT seeking ideas on "writing success" and this is what I got back:

Success is often mistaken for a finish line—a moment when everything finally makes sense. In reality, success is less about arrival and more about alignment. It’s the quiet confidence of knowing your efforts match your values, even when the results aren’t immediate or public.

Seems reasonable but have I been converted? Not on your life!! One thing I learned from my Local Preacher training was to make room for God to speak. As Christian writers I believe this is something which should be indelibly etched into our consciousness. When we write, whether for our living or as a pastime, our creativity comes from the one who made us in his own image, and our effort should reflect that gracious gift given freely for us to use to reflect his greater glory. 

If writing out in longhand first can be compared to say a marathon, do web-based applications constitute a sprint? There are those writers who will use such innovations to help inspire their work particularly when deadlines are looming. But one thing I have learned even from writing this short blog, is that notebooks filled with rough drafts provide a wealth of memories which can be utilised for creating even greater efforts which still may not yield a winners garland, but reflect God's creative process in all of us. 

As St Paul stated in 1 Corinthians v 26, "So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air." In other words by focusing on the ultimate prize, a garland that will not perish, using our work to praise God and to give thanks for the gift of sharing with others who may in turn be inspired to do likewise. 

I will leave the final word to that great Christian writer, C.S. Lewis, who in a parody of St Anselm's claim about believing and understanding wrote:

"We do not write to be understood; we write in order to understand."

Michael Cronogue originally from London still resides in Walsall in the Black Country region of the UK. Writer and blogger discussing matters of faith and theology on hiw website www.michaelcronogue.com . He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from the Queen’s Foundation Birmingham, and is a Methodist Local Preacher serving various churches in the Black Country area, as well as a visiting preacher in parts of North and Southeast Cornwall.