The story of Archimedes reminds me of the evangelist Dwight
L. Moody, who, suddenly overcome with the grace of God, also went through the
streets asking people, “Have you heard
about grace?” Of course, the obvious response from the uninitiated was, “Grace
who?”
At the outbreak of any new understanding, passion often
outstrips coherence, but eventually that passion coupled with a logical
proclamation will change the world. There were three occasions when I came to a
new understanding of my faith, which has, over time, given me insight and direction
for writing.
The first, as a young man, I felt honour bound to defend the
Bible, but suddenly realized it didn’t need me to defend it. What a relief to
know the Bible would still be secure even if I failed it in some way. It has
stood the test of time for two thousand years, and the Old Testament for much
longer. I could relax in my faltering attempts to support it.
The second was the discovery of the difference between
simplistic and simplicity. I read somewhere that simplicity results from journeying
through the complexity of a subject. Only then can a subject be fully expressed
in simple terms. To miss that journey risks a simplistic response to critical
matters. Another reason to read widely while writing.
Finally, the most obvious, yet the most difficult to fully
embrace—but which has had the most impact on my writing—is awareness of the
absolute necessity of reliance on the Holy Spirit for His inspiration. Frequently,
I experienced the occurrence given in Isaiah 50:4:
“The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to
know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens
my ear to listen like one being taught,”
As a result, I often arose to write in the middle of the
night, and developed a habit of very early rising to ensure a clear mind to
record what I believe God gave me. To leave it till later is to risk it fading
in memory and impact.
This eased my deep sense of inadequacy of speaking for God. After
all, as Paul said, “Who is equal to such a task?” 2 Corinthians 2:16. Strangely,
the same reference in first Corinthians has an answer: “‘For who has known the
mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”
Really? We have the mind of Christ? An astonishing claim,
and impossible without the insight to God’s mind from the Holy Spirit. As I
age, I become increasingly aware of my sin-soiled thinking demanding the
clarifying perception of God’s “foolishness” for my “wisdom.”
I must seek the illumination
of the Spirit as I read the Word, and other Christian writings. Then I need His
inspiration as I write. Anything short
of that is “chasing the wind,” a way to cope, not assurance of hope. I love the
idea of “eureka” moments, but it is the steady development of those insights which
will leave a lasting heritage.
