A Devotion for Writers: Apprenticeship

“Prepare…put on your armor!”

Jeremiah 46:3-4 (NIV)

Do you remember playing dress-up as a child? Little girls wear grown-up shoes, tripping over their feet. Little boys don vests and hats, imitating the men in their lives. My children loved to play dress-up. Nightgowns became turbans. Umbrellas became shields. Bed sheets served as tents in faraway deserts. The art of play introduced them to the world of the grown-ups they would follow.

As writers, we are not so very old ourselves, are we? Others have gone before us to lead the way. Their works have honed our view of the literary world, and we have become their apprentices. They have taught us to sharpen our spears in order to garner respect in the writing community for the Christian viewpoint. Their example led us to a high standard where we polish our skills and prepare for the work of presenting God’s Word.  

How will you get ready for your battle with words?

Will you read works on the writing craft? Will you attend a writers’ conference? Will you enlist a critique partner?

Whom do you seek to inspire? Is your target audience male or female, child or YA, fiction or non-fiction?

What is your goal? Make it SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. Then tackle it with determination and preparation! 

Further investigation into the Jeremiah passage reminds us that it doesn’t matter what size our battle (or topic) is, we are still to prepare.

What do you need to do to prepare?

Do you have enough background information for your story? Is the research complete for your article?

Maybe you’re worried about public response to your stance, or criticism of how you tackle a project? What do you need to do in order to shore up your confidence? More research? More prayer? Assemble a prayer team to help you in the battle.

Jeremiah 46:4 says, “Take your positions with helmets on!” Maybe this is a reminder to guard against being offended by opposing viewpoints. Or, maybe, as in Ephesians 6:17, the helmet of salvation is to give the grounding we need against doubt in what we have the ability to say.

It’s your job as an apprentice to prepare.

Be bold today. Prepare…and be bold!

Exercise: What “master” would you choose to study under as an “apprentice”?

Read the works of an author you respect. What grabs your attention? What do you want to imitate? Why is this author of particular interest to you?

Over 140 of Sally Ferguson’s devotionals have been published in Pathways to God (Warner Press). She’s also written for Light From The Word, Chautauqua Mirror, Just Between Us, Adult Span Curriculum, Thriving Family, Upgrade with Dawn and ezinearticles.com. Prose Contest Winner at 2017 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.

Sally loves organizing retreats and seeing relationships blossom in time away from the daily routine. Her ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat is available on Amazon. 

Sally Ferguson lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, NY with her husband and her dad.

Visit Sally’s blog at www.sallyferguson.net