I Have My Doubts by Bob Jones

“I have self-doubt. I have insecurity. I have fear of failure. I have nights

when I show up at the arena and I'm like, 'My back hurts, my feet hurt,

my knees hurt. I don't have it. I just want to chill.' We all have self-doubt.

You don't deny it, but you also don't capitulate to it. You embrace it.”

Kobe Bryant

“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good

we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.”

William Shakespeare

“Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.”

Suzy Kassem

Professional athletes have them.

So do classical writers like Shakespeare.

And people like Suzy and me.
 

Is there another quality that writers share in spades more than doubt? Even seasoned writers? Doubt, and specifically self-doubt, feels like a bad cold that won’t go away. After years of writing and thousands of published words, we may still doubt our ability to produce something that will resonate with readers. This post is a case in point.

The Inscribe writing prompt for January took us to Exodus 3, where Moses expresses doubt about his abilities. The Lord replies to him, “What is that in your hand?” Moses held a shepherd’s staff, an inanimate thing. And then God tells him to throw it down and it became a snake. A dead thing became a living thing, and a dangerous thing at that. So dangerous in fact that Moses runs from it! God says to pick it up by the tail and it returns to an inanimate thing. 

 

No doubt this is a timeless story that resonates with readers.

God uses Moses’ staff to demonstrate His power.

So, what do you have?

You have:

Smarts. You are intelligent bright, witty and clever.

Tenacity. You finish what you start.

Accomplishments. You make the effort to be successful.

Focus. You bear down on a task.

Fervency. You are enthusiastic about publishing.

How do I know these qualities are in you? 

 

Because you are a part of this community. You are reading, writing, posting, and publishing. You need a S.T.A.F.F. to accomplish all that.

Facing self-doubt is about throwing down your STAFF and seeing how God will transform it into life.

Vincent van Gogh said, “If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.”

I am a writer and use what I have to write and write and edit and write and edit and write until something readable is created. Writing is about one thing: going into a room and doing it.

Doubt is overcome by doing. I throw down my STAFF and get going.

I do because of who God created me to be. And, as Olympian, Eric Liddell said, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” When we write, feeling God's pleasure is a way to dispel our self-doubt.

The first time I was asked to be a ghostwriter, I doubted my ability to do justice to the person's story. The first book went very well. Ghostwriting was an opportunity to glorify God through another person's story. The initial success was followed by a second and a third, both with the same nagging doubt. My hope for 2025 will be that I get a 4th and a 5th opportunity and once again embrace and work through the doubt.

And let's not forget that some of our doubts are planted by the Adversary. The Daily Bible reading group I am in is reading from the book of Romans (Romans 8:34) about Jesus interceding for us. When doubts invade your thinking, remember that Jesus is praying for you. Throw down your staff and get going.

Your writing will do good for readers and for God in 2025. No doubt about it.

Thank you for reading.
Bob writes at REVwords.

 

 

 

This Wild and Precious Life by Susan Barclay

 

Good new year, everyone.

As I considered this month’s writing prompt, I was reminded of a book I read last year, A Curious Faith by Lore Ferguson Wilbert. An entire chapter is devoted to the question, “What is in your hand?” Lore offers a different and thought-provoking perspective: “When God asks what is in Moses’s hand, the staff in his hand is there because so many things have gone wrong in Moses’s life.” Lore suggests that when God asks you what’s in your hand, he is asking, “What did you not expect to carry into this ‘wild and precious life’?”

A close friend shared this with me: “I don’t always like what is in my hand, and often look at what is in someone else’s hand and wonder why I didn’t get that. But I know God gave me what is in my hand and know he must have a purpose and use for it. I believe that God has given you the issues you are dealing with now, because he knew you could handle the job. And that you would handle the job with Christian love and grace and would be a witness to those around you. One day God will say to you ‘thanks for taking care of that, I knew you were the right person for the job’.

What is ‘in my hand’ is a story I never wanted and never sought out. It is a story involving prodigal children and a challenging caregiving journey. The stage of life I am in looks nothing like what I expected or hoped for. But God has shown me my faith is built on the solid rock of Christ. I may be tested and tried, my “trunk” may be bent against hurricane-force winds, but I will stand in him. He is faithful, he is good, he is kind, he is the one true Promise-keeper.

I trust that God will use what’s in my hand to bless others, whether that is in my writing or in conversations and offering support. As Lore says, “he uses our grief to make space for another’s grief. When our grief is palpable and present, mourners find their way alongside it sooner or later.”

Moses used his sheep-herding staff to astound a pharaoh, split the Red Sea, bring water from rock, and help the Israelites win a battle against enemy forces. God didn’t waste Moses’s flock-tending years; he redeems the years the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:25). Since he doesn’t waste anything and turns for good what the enemy means for evil (Genesis 50;20), I can hardly wait to see what he does with what’s in my hand! May it be soon, Lord Jesus!

_______________________

c. Susan Barclay, 2025. For more about Susan and her writing, please visit www.susan-barclay.blogspot.com

Say Yes to Alphabet Prayers by Sandi Somers

 

As we near the end of our alphabet project, I discovered something surprising.

I lay awake one night, worrying. Gradually I turned to praying for a family on my prayer list. It wasn't too long before I fell asleep. Next morning my mind was clear of the worry, and I realized I hadn't even finished praying for everyone.

Occasionally I have restless wakeful nights, and I try praying. Recently I read an article that suggested praying Scriptures--work your way through the alphabet. Recite scriptures until you fall asleep. 

Aha!

It was a great idea. I could combine alphabet Scriptures with praying for people or personal needs. So the next wakeful night, I began.

A "Ask...Seek...Knock."

B "Bless the Lord, O my soul."

C "Confess your sins one to another."

 I didn't get too far. By the letters G and H, I was drifting in and out of sleep. But I did wake enough to J, and recited, "Jesus wept."

The next sleepless night, I decided praise was in order. I focused on Scriptures from Isaiah, even though thoughts were out of alphabetical order: "Almighty God, Wonderful Counsellor Everlasting Father, Prince of peace." "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord."

Then came a night I lay awake, even with quoting Scriptures. I was surprised that, though I've memorized a lot of verses, I couldn't recall examples--K, Q, R---Perhaps I wasn't fully alert. 

On later nights, I diverted from a strict alphabetical order and prayed The Lord's Prayer, praying into each verse. Or Psalm 23. Or favourite verses. 

I prayed for our pastors. I prayed for my writing. I prayed for our Canadian leaders. 

Then I realized something else was happening.

I was generally sleeping more soundly. The Lord's words were becoming a balm to my spirit. And I wasn't worrying nearly as much.

But more. I was reminded of how important it is to pray with Scripture. In this way, we know we are praying according to God's will. If we don't, we can, as the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoefffer wrote, "become victim of our own emptiness", praying in generalities.

In my regular morning prayer time, I began writing down special Scriptures for people--a process that will continue to grow. 

How will this process grow and influence my praying? My hope is that it will lead to more effective praying. God's word is powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit...and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12).

If you haven't tried it, pray through Scriptures during a wakeful night, matching verses with special requests. 

God bless you this coming year.

Image by Pixabay

What is in Your Hand? by Lorrie Orr

 

Here we are, beginning a brand-new year. 365 days that unfold one by one. In Exodus 3, Moses, called by the Lord to an enormous task, expresses doubt about his abilities. The Lord replies to him, “What is that in your hand?” God then uses Moses’ staff to demonstrate His power to use what Moses already had.

As we begin the year, this month's challenge is to consider where and how we might move forward in faith and in writing. Share what is in your hand. What do you know about yourself? How has God revealed Himself to you as a writer? What tools do you possess to help you? How can you use what God has given you to enhance your writing?

When I think of the many ways that God has led me think of myself as a writer, I had a difficult time narrowing this post to a reasonable length. Here are a few of the gifts God has given me.

1. A love of words. Words are beautiful things. From an early age I devoured words. Words jump out at me everywhere. I find the shape of letters and words appealing. Spelling errors, particularly in public, like on big advertising boards, newspapers, or church screens stand out like a petunia in an onion field. (Not that I haven't made my own share of spelling errors.) I love putting words together to create images or to tell stories.

2. A story. God has given me a story of love and faithfulness. Of redemption. Of a grace that is so beautiful I see it everywhere. Of intense challenges and ordinary days. Of a life I could never have imagined for myself. In my life there are everyday stories where God shows up in small but significant ways, and life-altering stories where God's hand works amazing miracles. Taking note of these moments is part of living a life that honours God.

3. Source material. For 21 years I wrote thousands and thousands of words by hand in letters to family and friends. Letters were my only connection between Ecuador and Canada. Shortly before my mother-in-law passed away in 2017 she gave me two boxes full of those letters. She had saved every one of them, going so far as printing out emails in the later years. It was my eldest daughter who said, "Mom, you should put them into a book for all of us." Her idea spurred me to begin a memoir that is very nearly complete.

4. Encouragement. I tend to belittle myself, particularly in my writing. Creating with words is like having children; it's incredibly hard work. Exposing my writing to the world is difficult. I don't expect praise and adulation, but when someone comments that they've enjoyed a piece of writing, or found solace or encouragement through my words, I thank God for his encouragement.

These things in my hand are God's gifts to me. I think of the Apostle James' words "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." I desire to honour God by accepting and developing the gifts he gives me.

Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island.

She hopes to publish her memoir in 2025 with God's help.