Reading, Writing, and Pestering
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. (Philippians 3:12)
I get embarrassed whenever someone thanks or compliments me regarding my daily devotions. Writing a devotion each day has become a spiritual discipline for me, and now they are a permanent part of my life. Occasionally, I get frustrated because I usually write during my off hours in the evening. I used to reserve time after dinner for reading and pestering my wife. Now, reading and pestering must also include time for writing. If my high school teachers heard that I write as part of my ministry, they would disdainfully roll their eyes.
My writing has developed over time. When I started writing devotions, I was writing them with so much focus on the scripture that it felt like a Biblical Commentary rather than a spiritual direction. A church friend gently and kindly mentioned how academic my devotions were, and they were hard to follow. I trusted his insight and worked to evolve the devotions from providing Biblical insights to using Biblical and theological stories to inspire spiritual and emotional well-being instead.
My friend was also alluding to my early devotions being weak because my writing style was immature. English grammar was never my friend in school. I’ve often joked, “I got Ds in high school grammar. In college, they gave some of my papers Cs because of my grammar and said I needed extra work. In seminary, the professors used a lot of red ink to acknowledge my grammatical shortcomings but didn’t dock my grades. By the time I was doing my doctoral work, they described my grammar as ‘unique.’” Determination and persistence often trump quality performance. When I started my devotions, Joan Mahaffey was the proofreader who saved me from embarrassment. After Joan retired, I started paying AI grammar apps to fix my work. Joan and AI slowly helped improve my writing process.
I share my devotion writing challenges, hoping you will consider your challenging desires. I would have given up long ago if I had expected to write perfect devotions. I’ve had to rely on the patience and forgiveness of the reader and the humble recognition that meaning can come even amid imperfection. Do not be scared to take on a new idea or goal. God’s Spirit will guide us through insecurity and fear when we can trust that we can do meaningful work, even imperfectly offered.