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Ready for a Promotion

Ready for a Promotion

Susie LarsonBLOGGER: SUSAN LARSON

Susie is teaching two Afternooon Workshops and serving on the Critique Team at the 2016 Mount Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference, March 18-22.

READY FOR A PROMOTION

Someone once said that a person’s gift may open the door, but his or her character will keep it open. Though it’s important to hone our craft, we need much more than skill to stay the course as a Christian writer.

Many years ago I spoke at a women’s conference and had a humbling experience. At the time, my writing credits included my first book (which I self-published), and the numerous articles I’d written for Focus on the Family. I’d not yet reached my goal and dream of getting published with a mainstream Christian publisher.

During a break in the conference I met up with the keynote speaker in the green room. She walked ahead of me in the buffet line, kept her eyes on her plate and asked, “So you write for Focus on the Family, do you?” Feeling validated, I smiled and said, “Why yes, I do.” She scooped up more food and replied, “Hmmm. Well. I myself don’t write articles. I save all of my content for my books.” She then peeked over her shoulder, gave me a tight-lipped smile, and walked away.

While I embrace opportunities to humble myself, I don’t particularly enjoy feeling humiliated. I found my way to a corner chair and sat there with my little plate of food. I felt smaller than the pitiful portions I’d taken for myself. I bowed my head and prayed for my meal. And for the knot in my gut.

In that very next moment, God whispered to my heart something I’ll never forget. He said, “Susie, wherever you go, you’ll find people that I’ve promoted serving alongside people who’ve promoted themselves. From the outside looking in, they’ll look very much the same, but the difference will be in the fruit. When you abide in Me, you’ll bear much fruit, and that fruit will always nourish others, not diminish them.”

We don’t like to wait for our dreams to come true and it’s tempting to rush ahead to make something happen in our own strength and on our own timeline. But just look in Scripture to see how well that worked for some of the folks who’ve gone before us.

You see, it’s not enough just to ‘get there’ – wherever it is we’re trying to go. When it comes to our dreams and our calling, God intends not just to get us there; He wants us to be able stand there, win our battles there, so when we’re ready, we can move on from there. But that will never happen on gifting alone. We need Christ-like character to whether the storms, trials, and temptations that go along with this calling.

Self-ambition may give us a good start but it will never promise a good finish. In fact, scripture tells us that self-ambition, envy, and jealousy are gateway sins to every other kind of evil (see James 3:14-15).

God is good and He withholds no good thing from His kids who walk intimately with Him. He’s an invested Father and will not send us out unprepared. If He’s making us wait it’s because He’s making us ready. We can trust Him.

A.B. Simpson wrote these wise words:

God is continually preparing His heroes, and, when the opportunity is right, He puts them into position in an instant. He works so fast, the world wonders where they came from. [1]

If it feels like your dream will never come to pass, lean in and trust God. Do the next thing He tells you to do. Hone your craft. Stay humble. And remember that at the best time possible, God will finish what He started in you.

[1] A.B. Simpson, Streams in the Desert, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1997, p.174

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Come meet Susie Larson at the 47th annual Mount Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference in March 2016.

Click here to Register for the conference!

 

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