Write less.
Sounds odd doesn’t it? The person who is perpetually urging you to write is now telling you to write less.
But I’ve made a discovery lately. You see, I love to write. I don’t just have one genre or one topic or one particular type of writing that I love above all else. I have many.
That poses a problem. Like an octopus, my mind can be drawn in so many delightful directions, but when I try to write in all those ways, I come up short. Frustrated. Stressed.
It’s only when I park myself at the feet of Jesus that I understand: When I write less I write more. When I focus on Him and whittle my writing down to a few specific projects it adds a whole new dimension. (Luke 10:41-42)
When I focus on one piece or a very few, writing transforms from mere words to an art form. It’s like a sculpture that is carefully chiseled. The artist desires a masterpiece, not a mere slab of mutilated marble.
So when I write less, I’m actually writing more. Better quality. More artistry. A greater stirring of the heart.
And when all of those things are true, more lives will be touched and encouraged and helped. The numbers may be smaller, but the impact will be greater.
I love the way Sarah Young says it in her book Jesus Calling (page 252): “When you look to me I enable you to do less but accomplish more.”
Write less, my friends. And write more.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
When Writing Less Means Writing More
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6 comments:
YES--someone else who agrees with a finding I've kept to myself!!! In spite of every recommendation I read and quickly dismiss, I've discovered that {at least for me} writing less is a requirement. I need room to hear God. I need room to give myself grace for mind changing and figuring out what really is important. Sometimes when I'm in too much of a rush to get something down, I realize that I've only discovered a mere sliver of what I really want to dine on and share.
LOVED this!!
And I have been really, really blessed looking back over past posts as I find my voice as a yet-unpublished author.
Really...when it comes down to it, we need to surrender our many plans at the feet of Jesus...and ask Him to reveal His priorities for certain seasons of our lives. In writing...and in life.
Just my two cents worth. ;)
This sounds like another revelation of focusing :-). It's a great thought; I've realized that I'm STILL stretched in too many directions, but I can't possibly narrow them down now. Sigh.
Yes, I was just thinking about this today. I totally agree!
I agree. We do serve a jealous God, and when we put Him first, He enables us to do His work. Good point.
Awesome post, Bonita. I was just thinking about this when I wrote my blog. I was tempted to go into more detail and then explain my conclusions, but then I said, "Keep it simple." I think readers get bogged down when we try to "spoon feed them." I love to be able to make other's writings relevant for me and my situation, so yes, less is often more.
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