Examining My Motives As A Writer

This Christmas tide, while the rest of the nation freezes under sub-zero blizzards and crippling ice storms, here in 80-degree sunny Florida, (I like to rub that in to poor yankees) I dabble at a systematic program that leads to reading through the Bible in a year.

I want to talk about that, but first let me say that last night Eve and Mark hosted a riotous combination birthday and Christmas celebration at their home.

Because of travel plans and folks wanting to spend Christmas with their spouses’ families, the Cowarts exchanged jokes, jabs and gifts last night. It was a hoot! Poor Clint, our newest, must wonder what he’s gotten into by falling for Patricia. He’s got a treasure he didn’t recon on the family being thrown into the bargain.

We played with candy rats (lone story of an odd Cowart holiday tradition. We teased Mark about mistaken a perfectly good manatee for a walrus! (Mark hails from up north). We prayed, feasted, read Scripture and told bizarre, embarrassing stories about each other, and exchanged even more bizarre gifts (another Cowart tradition).

For our Christmas devotions I read the Ten Commandments and short passages from three of the Gospels. And to reinforce the seriousness of the gathering, I told about this cartoon:

Terri didn’t get the joke—which made it all the funnier for the rest of us.

Now, back to my original intention of reading day by day through the Bible in a year.

I’m not making it.

I miss a lot of days, but reading all the way the whole thing again remains my goal.

Sometimes, that practice creates a posterior pain

For instance, Friday’s reading brought me to Peter’s First Letter, Chapter 2, where I read:

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Now the passage primarily reveals Christ, telling what He did and our relationship to Him. I believe this passage is literally true. Every phrase pictures the situation accurately. But one phrase in particular captured my attention: An example that ye should follow His steps.

Years ago I read Charles Sheldon’s popular novel titled In His Steps. And yes, I know it advocates a watered-down, liberal Christianity and a social gospel; (O Horrors!) but it’s still a cool, thought-provoking book.

Here, I’ve scanned in a brief passage from that book which I ran across again recently; it’s about Jasper Chase, a writer:

Money and fame as a writer.

All this gives me something to think about.

I hate examining my own motives!

See where Bible reading gets you?

I’ve got to stop reading such stuff.

It messes with my head and gives me another (well-deserved) posterior pain.

I like the parts where Peter talks about how vile, nasty sinners are going to get their comeuppance—those passages make for easier reading.

The thing is, when reading the Bible, you can never tell which phrase is going to stick. Alive, powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable—that’s God’s written word.

As Peter says, “Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost”.

Theologian term the process of the Holy Spirit’s working on the writers inspiration. It means God-breathed.

Reading Scripture carries that same sort of supernatural dynamic.

At His discretion, the Holy Spirit sometimes causes certain phrases to jump out at the reader. Theologians term this process illumination, which means to light up.

Sometimes I wish the ideas of Scripture did not light up for me…

Say, I wonder what’s on tv this evening?