11/14/2006

What is Reasonable Service for a Writer?

Romans 12:1

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.”

God calls the members of his family to different tasks. In my daily reading yesterday, I came across Romans 12:1. This is a special verse to me, because it’s the one God chose to draw my mother into the family of God over twenty years ago. As I read it yesterday, I stopped to ponder how it applies to us as writers.

We understand what it means to present our bodies as a living sacrifice but what is reasonable service? And how does it pertain to writing? It’s easy to think of our own definition of reasonable and roll with it, but whenever I start wandering along the what’s that mean trail, I turn to the original language instead of depending on my own understanding or current meaning of a word. The word reasonable comes from the Greek logikos {log-ik-os'}:

1) pertaining to speech or speaking
2) pertaining to the reason or logic
a) spiritual, pertaining to the soul
b) agreeable to reason, following reason, reasonable, logical

When I looked at it in this light, it’s easy to see that writing falls within the parameters of “reasonable.” Writing takes our speech and logic and opens a window to our soul for others to see. It follows reason and logic and takes others along on a journey.

And what about “service”? The Greek latreia {lat-ri'-ah} means:

1) service rendered for hire
a) any service or ministration: the service of God
2) the service and worship of God according to the requirements of the Levitical law
3) to perform sacred services

Well, that covers just about anything we do, since “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31), because whatever we do is service to Him.

Writer’s who write speculative Christian fiction sometimes receive negative feedback from the community of believers, but if God has called you to write, even the lost genre of Christian spec-fic—consider it part of your reasonable service.

6 comments:

Sharon Hinck said...

I also love Romans 12:1, because it reveals that through Christ, our bodies (and our service, our offers, our writing, our ministry) are holy and acceptable. How marvelous that the writing work (that sometimes torments us) and the prose that we wrestle with - never quite reaching the perfection we long for - is ACCEPTABLE to God.

He takes our scribbled offerings, and like a loving parent, proudly displays them on his refrigerator door.

Donna Sundblad said...

What a great image! Well said. Thanks for that.

Donna

chrisd said...

What an encouraging post for authors! Thank you, Donna!

Donna Sundblad said...

Thanks Chris,

Not everyone is called to write. Those of us who are can use a bit of encouragment along the way.

Donna

Daniel I Weaver said...

Very nicely put, Donna. No one can know the personal relationship we each have with Christ or what He has called us to do. This is a great reminder that it only matters that we do it for Him.

God Bless,
Daniel I Weaver

Donna Sundblad said...

You're right Daniel. Outside of that we may find ourselves pleasing man rather than God.

Donna