When I write I don’t think about publishing or books {although technically I publish here each time}. My concern is with getting down on paper {technically – screen} whatever has come into my head as quickly as possible before my aged head forgets the thought.
From time to time someone comes alongside and whispers “publish” in my ear and for a few seconds, my head turns. For the longest time it was about fear; fear of failure & fear of succeeding, fear of criticism and fear of my name becoming known.
It is not about fear anymore. It is about perspective. In 2 Corinthians 8 we meet this person:
And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel.
2 Corinthians 8
This brother is praised for his service to the gospel. He is famous for exalting the name of Jesus, not his own. He is nameless. His name is not important. The important thing is that in his life and work – Jesus is exalted and he gives Him all the glory.
I heard about this guy earlier in the summer and something clicked, I had tried to explain over a dozen times this year alone why I was not comfortable with publishing being the aim and failed miserably. But now, I had a verse in the Bible to help me.
At the weekend I shared a few poems with a great bunch of people who were more than kind and full of encouragement {that I have been told to remember} and some asked could they share the poems with their home groups. The words ‘publish’ and ‘book’ were said and I explained it was not something I was aspiring to.
Later on, in his second letter to the Corinthians Paul says:
But, ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.’
And I guess that is where I am at, my writing reflects my life in Christ. I do not need to be ‘published.’
There is a German hymn that Charles Wesley translated into English that says “Let us in life {and} in death thy {Your} steadfast truth declare and publish with our latest breath {with each breath} thy love and guardian care {Your love}”
That is the kind of publishing I want to see – all over this land… speaking the name of Jesus, doing life according to His will, being steadfast in faith… giving the Lord Almighty all the glory.
Rebuilding Community 