By John Tucker
Many people from all walks of life identify themselves by the work they do: dentist, engineer, lawyer, or writer. But all of our work, talents, skills, and giftings are extensions of who we are.
Our intrinsic value as persons comes from our Creator and dwells in our spirit. It is out of our spirit that we do what we do and become what we become. Writer is a label that points to something I’m good at or getting better at doing. When we write, because writing is so near and dear to us, we write out of our souls and hearts. When we write, we meditate on ideas and concepts and threads of thought that are infused with creativity and order and significance.
Intrinsic adj. 1. Of or relating to the essential nature of a thing; inherent. (American Heritage College Dictionary, p. 728).
Our intrinsic value is related to our voice in writing. Sometime ago I viewed a nature film on television showing that a mother penguin can find her offspring among a hundred or more penguins simply by listening for its unique voice. Though it took time to get to her offspring, the mother found and reunited with the youngster. This is an example of how our Creator wired each of us. We are gifted with His eternal presence and His message flows through our intrinsic voice. It is how we reach our readers, because they too are wired with this inner capacity to read, comprehend and digest words and concepts.
Whether we are homemakers, bakers, engineers, auto mechanics, writers, teachers, babysitters, or fill any other occupational framework, each one expresses themselves out of their intrinsic soul.
The quality of our writing depends on our connection with the Creator and our commitment to the craft. But, our writing isn’t us. It is fragranced by us, flavored by us, but it is an extension of our heart and soul.
We, first, are living beings and our writing must express life. We are God-breathed and our writing must exemplify God-breathed stories of fact and fiction.
We, second, are image-bearers. Therefore, our writing must bear the mark of our Creator in some understandable way.
We, third, are the fallen-forgiven. We acknowledged our sin, turned to Christ in faith, and received His forgiveness. Therefore, we humbly write and speak the truths of Scripture in love to our world, inviting our readers and listeners to come into relationship with their Creator.
We, finally, are writers and speakers. Our souls are tied intrinsically to our Savior and to our readers and listeners. This is an eternal bond, though our constituents may not sense it. It is Christ reconciling the world to Himself through us (2 Cor. 5:18-20).
May God enrich each of us to write and speak out of our intrinsic value and voice, which He initiates and authenticates in all of our expressions of faith.
John Tucker graduated from University of Sioux Falls with a B.A. in Speech and Drama, and from Sioux Falls Seminary with a Master of Divinity. He and his wife pastored for two years in South Dakota. Presently, John is a city bus driver in Colorado Springs, CO. He and his wife have two grown daughters. John has written and directed plays and skits. Presently, John is working on a non-fiction set of books. Visit his website at dragonridersoftherealm.com.