In 2018, Rachel Hollis, motivational speaker, popular podcast host, and entrepreneur, released her bestselling book, Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies about Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be. The book was (and still is) wildly popular and widely scrutinized by the Christian media such as The Gospel Coalition, Tim Challies, and Sheologians.
Just last week, in March of 2019, Rachel Hollis released a new book, Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals, and a whole new round of criticism has begun.
Although her books are labeled as the Christian Living genre, the content is apparently far removed from a Christian worldview.
She allegedly encourages the reader to depend on herself and her own strength rather than the Lord and His strength. In addition, there seems to be an expectation that life is to be happy and fulfilling according to a woman’s own definition of happiness. What’s missing in her books is that Christ told us to expect suffering (John 16:33) and to live serving others rather than ourselves (Galatians 5:13).
Since I have not read Rachel Hollis’ books, I am not comfortable weighing in on whether or not her books belong in the Christian Living genre or not.
But what I am sure of is that Christian Living and devotional writers have a huge responsibility to portray the Christian worldview accurately. If you decide to write in these genres, your work will be under scrutiny.
Although I am still working towards publishing my first book, I have faced some small-scale scrutiny from readers of my Read the Hard Parts of Scripture blog. One man did not like when I wrote that God doesn’t condone polygamy. Others did not like when I pointed out that your favorite Bible verse may be taken out of context.
It is an enormous responsibility to both meet your reader’s needs and accurately portray God’s truth. Neither can be compromised or left out of your writing process.
If you write about God’s truth, but do nothing to address how His truth meets reader’s needs, no one will read your writing. If you write to fulfill your reader’s needs, but don’t offer God’s truth, are you really meeting their needs?
What can steps can you take in your writing process to be sure you are accurately presenting the Christian worldview and meeting your readers’ needs?
Pray before you write. Ask the Lord to guide your writing and help your heart to listen to the Holy Spirit’s leading. This is a daily occurrence. Also, prayer in God’s presence is the cure for writer’s block.
Use Scripture wisely. If you are adding Scripture to your writing, study the passage carefully so you are handling God’s word accurately. Don’t just randomly pull out a verse. Look at the context.
Read the Bible on your own. Starting your day in God’s word refreshes your mindset so that you are thinking from God’s point of view in whatever comes up in your life that day—including your writing.
Listen to your readers. Ask them questions about what they are struggling with. This is where social media is key. You have instant access to your readers. Find out what problems they have. Listen to their answers with compassion and tenderness. Talk to your readers whom you meet in person as well.
Use everyday examples to explain God’s truth. I’ve noticed that some Christian writers, preachers, and bloggers, as they become more popular with a wider audience, tend to lose this ability. Use examples from nature or from family and friend relationships. What everyday life things do you do that your readers do, too? Elisabeth Elliot was the most amazing writer and speaker. One of my favorite programs of hers is when she talked about her typical day including her ironing, cooking supper for her husband, and taking a daily walk to the post office. I do not have an audience of millions, so I cannot relate to her on that level, but I can feel connected to her because we do the same everyday chores.
Let a mature Christian friend or church leader check your writing to be sure it portrays Christ accurately. You may think you are explaining things clearly, but how is it perceived by fresh eyes? You could also take the extra step to be sure your editor is a Christian. While she is editing for content and grammar, she can also watch your theology.
Stay humble. There is a difference between confidence in Christ and what He has called you to do and a desire to boost yourself for the accolades found in this world only. The picture of a servant is what helps me with this goal. Christ came to serve. I am His follower and serving is my goal– serving others and serving Christ. When Christ is lifted higher, then everything else in this world is exactly where it needs to be.
What steps do you take in your writing process to be sure you are both meeting the reader’s needs and accurately portraying Christianity? I’d love to hear your comments!
Rachel Schmoyer is a pastor’s wife who is loving her church life. She writes about the hard parts of Scripture at readthehardparts.com. She has had devotionals published in the past, but now she is looking forward to getting her first Christian Living book published. You can connect with Rachel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.
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3 Comments
So much truth to this. I actually plan to read the Girl, Wash Your Face book and form my own opinion.
Thanks so much for the post. It proves that we shouldn’t just mindlessly accept a book if it’s labeled “Christian”.
Eric has the opportunity to use chapters of his book at our small group Bible study. The feedback has been good so far, but fresh ideas add to point of view or help you decide what to edit out. I look forward to buying your book!!