Below are quotes taken from the prologue of: The Lost Choice by Andy Andrews.
As I was reading these words, used to describe a possession the father had, the only thing he would be passing on to his son, I was struck by how these words described the power of writing.
“It is an object of fear and an object of promise. An object of ridicule and of power. The possession displays abject poverty and incredible wealth. It contains death and birth and blindness and sight. And one day, it will be yours to protect.”
Do you see: this is what the written word can and does do?
He further says to his son:
“I told you exactly what it is. As for what it does? It does nothing. It does, however, represent the power to do everything. It is believed and doubted, contemplated and ignored, pursued and avoided. Men will kill for it…and I would die to protect it.”
Individual words do nothing, but strung together in a particular order they represent the power to do everything. The Bible is an incredible example of this. It is believed and doubted, contemplated and ignored, pursued and avoided. Men kill others for possessing it and men die to defend the truth it contains.
“He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue.” Psalm 15:2-3
Another quote:
“It is a gift from a father to a son.”
The Bible is a gift from our Father God to his sons and daughters. Our writing: stories, articles, novels, fiction and non-fiction are given to us by our Father, a gift to be used rightly to bring light or with evil intent to take others into darkness.
"He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him." John 7:18 NIV
“The possession itself—the object—will never, alone, do anything.
“An object can inspire, arouse, prove, encourage, justify, and confirm. But it can never produce.”
My writing by itself will never do anything.
“Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding.” Proverb 23:23
“It is only by your hand that the mind’s choices bear fruit. Intentions are like physical beauty—they mean nothing. At some point, a person must actually do something. One’s beliefs must become works. By your hand, you establish evidence for others in the truth of what you believe.”
It is what people choose to do with my words…change the world…or destroy it… that gives it power.
One person, changed by my words, brings something new into their world and to those around them…like a pebble thrown into a still body of water, the ripples extend on and on.
Long after I am gone the words I have written will continue on. Would I be pleased with what remains? Would my great, great grandchild be proud of what I have placed on paper or would there be shame because of the pain my words have caused.
“I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws. I hold fast to your statutes, O Lord; do not let me be put to shame. I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” Psalm 119:30-32
If my words are truth there will be no shame.
Jesus continually said: I tell you the truth… Why did He have to repeat this phrase over and over? Was it because there was so much deception, was it because there would be many who would doubt His words? He knew His words were truth so He could declare them with boldness.
If Jesus felt it necessary to declare the truthfulness of His words should we not at least check our hearts and ask ourselves, is what I am writing truth?
I am not saying we shouldn’t be writing fiction, novels are filled with life impacting words.
I am challenging us all to consider what message we are coveying.
How are we handling the words He has put in our possession?
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” John 3:31 NIV
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