Merriam-Webster lists four definitions for a prophet: 1) One who utters divinely inspired revelations; 2) One gifted with more than ordinary spiritual and moral insight; 3) One who foretells future events; and 4) An effective or leading spokesman for a cause, doctrine, or group.
Of the four definitions, Jeremiah certainly fulfilled the first three during his lifetime. Unfortunately, his words were neither heeded nor well-received by the group he was sent to.
In the years before his death, Jeremiah witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian Empire, the forced removal of his people from their land, and, though he opted to stay with the poor in Judea, it is believed that his life ended in Egypt—the land of his ancestors’ captivity.
But none of that stopped him from sharing the words he was given to speak, and centuries later we as Christians and as writers can still learn from his message and his response to God’s call for his life.
The struggle of youth and inexperience
When we look at the opening scene of Jeremiah’s story, we see a young priest serving in the territory of Benjamin. Because of his age and the structure of the priesthood, it’s not a stretch to say he was probably at the bottom of the order. Certainly, when the Lord came to him, Jeremiah didn’t believe that he was someone who had any authority to speak (Jeremiah 1:6).
But, the thing I find most fascinating when I read the first exchange between the Lord and Jeremiah is that God reveals His purpose for Jeremiah and the authority He is giving to him before giving Jeremiah his assignment (Jeremiah 1:4–5). When Jeremiah demurs, the Lord reminds him that authority comes from God, not age or stature, and that He would be standing beside Jeremiah through every difficulty and would deliver him (Jeremiah 1:7).
When Jeremiah claimed himself a child, what he was saying was that he was inexperienced, unqualified, and lacked the expertise needed to speak to the people of Israel. His response is similar to Moses, Gideon, and a host of others throughout the Bible. Funny how some things never change.
Calling all leaders!
We live in a period of time where everyone is told they need to be an expert in their field in order to be recognized. As a result, those of us who are not experts—or who don’t hold specific degrees—often feel unqualified to speak to our experience and knowledge.
I think this is especially true of many Christian writers. Who are we to speak to the truth of the Gospel? Because we didn’t go to seminary, or don’t stand behind a pulpit every week, or at the very least, lead a Bible Study, we sit on the sidelines hiding our voices and feeling the words God’s placed inside us burn a hole in a bellies.
Chances are God hasn’t appeared to you and specifically told you that He created and appointed you to be a prophet to the nation. But as a writer, you have been given a gift, a message, and a voice.
Just as the Lord equipped Jeremiah to speak, God equips us. If we write in response to the Lord’s calling and we constantly return to the Spring of Life for our source of understanding, then the wisdom we gain at the water’s edge will inform each sentence we write, whether it be fiction or non-fiction.
One of the best things that has happened to me was being sidelined in both my writing and in my editing career for a few years. During that time, there were entire months where it was all I could do to hold on to my faith and the dream God placed in my heart. Although I didn’t write anything for publication during that time, I spent a lot of time journaling through Scripture. At first it was the Psalms, then I began digging deeper into Exodus and Ruth and the Gospels.
I didn’t realize it then, but God was using that time to create a foundation that would lead to opportunities that required a deeper trust of Him and an expanding of my skills. It wasn’t until recently that God began putting those skills to work, not just as a writer but as a member of the faith community. There have been more pits and failings than I’d care to admit to in the past seven years, but through them all I have been able to see that God is true to His word: He has been with me and has rescued me every time I’ve needed Him to lift me back to my feet.
Your gift to use
It doesn’t matter if you’re a well-established author or someone who is still trying to figure out if writing is a vocation you’re being called to pursue. It doesn’t matter if you write devotionals or speculative fiction or a church newsletter. What does matter is that before you were born, God set you apart for a specific task that He created just for you.
And like Jeremiah (and all the other men and women who’ve said they’re unqualified for the job), He promises He’ll be with you in your victories and failures, in your fears and your doubts, and in all the acceptances and rejections you’ll face on your journey.
The question you have to answer is, do you trust Him enough to put to use the gift, the voice, and the message He gave you?
