Helper, Missionary, Prophet, Teacher: Write to Serve

A guest post by Dan and Denise Harmer:

His writing has been translated into hundreds of languages, sold more than any in history, and touched untold millions of lives, yet we don’t even know his name. Our mystery servant writer was none other than the faithful amanuensis (scribe) of the apostle Paul. At times this author labored in a dank prison cell recording each word. Talk about a collaboration. The Holy Spirit working through Paul while this guy jots down each line, lifting his feet on occasion to allow the rats to scurry by.

Fast forward two thousand years. I would give away body parts to have a drop of that impact and influence for Christ, yet since the time I first conceived this post, I have realized struggles with my own servant’s heart attitude. My pastor is fond of saying “If you want to check to see if you have a servant’s heart, take note of how you react when someone treats you like one.”

Ouch!

I have the honor, right now, of collaborating with a Marine. An officer serving his second stint in Afghanistan. This morning, as I was handed a cup of coffee from my wife, he was handed orders that put him in a more dangerous assignment than expected and will make it tough to communicate with his wife and kids. Knowing this soldier, he will fortify his resolve and meet the expectations. He won’t pout and blame his commander. He will push aside his feelings and serve well in the task he’s required to complete.

Writers should think more like Marines. In this aspect, anyway. We have been given a talent to tell a story with the building blocks of words. The assignment sometimes is not what we would pick. We may have planned to write our memoir, but perhaps God keeps putting a neighbor who works at a home for abused women into your life. Maybe it is her story you are to write, or even deeper, the abused woman’s story, or even deeper still, a child who comes from an abusive home and now lives at a shelter. I’m amazed when you go through life looking for opportunities to help others how much work there is to be done. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

A few years back, I sat with a manuscript in my trembling hands before a panel of successful CBA authors. One by one they told their testimonies of how God began to open doors for their writing. One realized that there were no books for teen girls available that glorified God, so she filled the niche. Another identified the assault on belief in intelligent design which occurs in most secular universities, so he drew on his background in law to make a case for creationism. A third wrote one of the most inspiring children’s books I’ve ever read. Her motivation was simply to teach children about Jesus. So, here I was, with a manuscript primarily drawn from my own life, with no clear ministry intention or audience. I had not viewed these talents as God’s and had not written this so much as to help others, but myself.

I know I am not alone in this. Three out of four times I ask someone at a conference what their book is about, they begin by launching into some horrific or painful or challenging event they went through. This is natural to get out all those bottled up emotions, and, in my opinion, the very best therapy available. Trust me, I understand the importance of writing such a piece… but is it ministry? Is it servant writing? And here is the kicker. Is it publishable?

Here is the dirty little secret an editor will seldom tell you. They, too, hear many of these personal stories and hold them up to the “so what?” test. If they published every personal challenge story, their warehouses would be full of unsold books. It is normal to believe our trials are unique and therefore worthy of a book contract. Let’s use the example of a friend of mine who survived bone marrow cancer, contracted hepatitis C during a transfusion and as a result had to undergo a liver transplant. That is a horrible, testing, challenging experience, but until the message has a take home for the audience such as God will give you the strength to press through, there is no universal truth.

A great example of this is the NYT bestseller, Blue like Jazz. Story in a nutshell for the fourteen Americans who haven’t read it: A guy discovers he doesn’t need to fully grasp God to love him and realizes the importance of a community of believers in his life. The story on its own is nothing revelatory, but written to express that common felt universal need. It has resonated with millions.

Often I hear people say they have the gift of writing, and in a certain respect, I believe that is true. That consuming desire to write has no better description. But, if you look at the list of spiritual gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11, you will not find writing. I know. I expected to see it there too. Here is what I’m saying. Just as some speakers use their voice to preach and others to encourage, the spiritual gift does not lie in the speaking, but in the message being transmitted. Same with writing. In any one writer’s group, most believers would consider themselves servant writers, but they may actually have four distinct gifts. The four categories I see are: the helper, missionary, teacher, and prophet.

The helper

This is the author who seeks to tell somebody else’s story. This may be in the past or present. An author I admire was given boxes of letters from a missionary in the 1800s. She feels that God has entrusted her with this long-departed missionary. Another writer I know is part of a team that serves at Russian orphanages. She feels her part is to blog about the difficulty these kids are facing and to raise awareness of the suffering to the western world.

The missionary

This would be the lady I mentioned earlier who saw a niche in teen girl fiction and filled it. She is as aware of her audience as a cross-cultural missionary heading off to the Congo. She learned their lingo, habits, and hobbies so she may effectively reach this sometimes dangerous demographic. A missionary writer would also include those who are permeating the secular world of film and books with stories that glorify God. They often refer to themselves not as Christian writers, but writers who are Christians.

The teacher

These writers are the ones who illuminate God’s word. Whether it be devotionals, children’s stories, theme-driven fiction, or non-fiction teaching, they seek to drive home God’s word to believers in a new and fresh way. Most Christian bookstore titles fall into this category, from Max Lucado to Randy Alcorn and James Dobson.

The prophet

These writers work as a secret agent for God. They feel that God has given them a special assignment. Jan Karon says she began writing the Mitford series because the Lord placed an image of a priest walking down the street before her eyes and she had to follow. Another example is The Shack. No one in publishing would have predicted its success, but William Young felt compelled by Papa to self publish it, and, well, the sales numbers tell the rest of the story.

So take a fresh look at the list of gifts and see which you fall into. I’ve learned from my experience if you take your eyes off yourself, the Lord will bring the opportunities to you….and here is the dirty little secret writers know—even the rejections are a little less painful when your ego is not as inflated.

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Dan and Denise Harmer are a husband-and-wife writing team, striving to write fiction and non-fiction in an offbeat, yet practical manner.  They aim to entertain their readers with joyous, encouraging, and thought-provoking pieces, while glorifying ‘The Word’. Visit their website at  www.jointventurebooks.com

A question for you:

How would you describe your writing gift, considering the four categories Dan and Denise suggest?  Are you a helper, missionary, teacher, or prophet?  Share a comment below.

Related Posts:

1. Goals, Habits, and Process of a Servant Writer

2. Writing for Influence

3. Five Reasons to Unleash the “Servant Writer” in You

4. Imitating Ezra: Spiritually Preparing Myself to Serve Others