A Heart Ready for Response

By Kathryn Lang

Develop the habits to become a heart ready for response. Christian writers hold more responsibility than other writers just telling stories. Each one  of us should be prepared to give a response about the Who that directs the words and the why behind the need to share them. It is not just about a Christian message within the words, but the heart behind their creation.

Getting a Heart Ready for Response

Be ready to answer - Know why you do what you do. Some writers are in it for the money and others are in it to make a difference. Make a list of the reasons behind your actions. Let the list build a vision sentence that sums up what you want others to see and know about your writing abilities.

Be ready to pray – Comments from readers and those that want to begin their own writing journey often come with hurts, habits or hang-ups that need healing. Being in a place where those pains are presented to you will require a heart ready (and even eager) to cover that pain with a touch of prayer.

Be ready to encourage – The world drags down the heart and enthusiasm of those that dare to walk through it. Daily doses of inspiration and motivation can be the difference between a heart that stumbles on and a heart that stumbles and quits. Meeting those people – through the written words or personal appearances – means that you may be the only one that can offer the courage they need to be hearts that push through.

Be ready to stop – Reaching out to others may not be convenient for your timeline or schedule. It takes practice to live out the idea to “Love God – Love others,” especially when a deadline looms on the horizon. The time invested in holding out a hand to another will return an interest that could never be found another way.

Be ready to listen – There are so many needs in the world, and no single person can fill them all. Each person has been given a time, a season and a purpose. The only way to know yours is to know the Weaver on a personal and intimate basis. Listen to the directions that He gives you and then follow through on His directives.

Words have power – even those that are “just telling a story.” The Christian has been called to go to all the world and share the good news. Begin to come to a place where the One that created the good news is the One that directs your words and actions. Soon, you will become a heart ready to respond to the needs of those that you encounter.