God’s Point of View for your Book

By Lana Christian

Like many of you, I’ve been in the querying trenches for some time.

So I was Snoopy-dance thrilled when a publisher reviewed my full manuscript and asked me to revise/resubmit it.

I spent three weeks slaving over changes I thought the publisher was looking for, knowing full well I could do my best and still not garner a book contract.

Halfway through my edits, I got the grumbles.

While scrutinizing every manuscript line like an archaeologist sifting dirt, I discovered I wasn’t as good at executing deep POV as I’d thought. That was humbling. I mean, I’d taken classes and read a book on it. Listened to critiques about it. Practiced my craft.

That got me thinking. What is God’s POV for my book?

Because ultimately it’s not about getting a book deal.

Don’t get me wrong. I want a book deal more than any earthly thing I can think of—including a personal chef and a lifetime supply of chai tea.

But God has a different point of view.

Four questions to help you see if you’re in God’s POV

1. Are you faithful to God’s nudge?

God told Abram get out of his country “and go to the land I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). Similarly, He pushes you out of your comfort zone to write.

2. Do you trust God to supply what you need along the way?

During the Exodus, God gave the Israelites light, heat, manna, quail, direction, and so much more. If you believe that God never changes (Malachi 3:6), then believe He’ll provide you with the research results, character profiles, and plot twists you need.

3. Do you humble yourself under God’s instruction?

God created language, so He’s perfectly capable of guiding your writing—directly and through other people. Editorial red ink is humbling. So is fixing it. But God says He’ll exalt those who humble themselves (Matthew 23:12).

4. Do you consistently put forth your best effort and leave the results to God?

Your best demonstrates your faithfulness to the vision God gave you. But your best is limited, and the results are additive: X work yields Y results. In contrast, God’s economy is multiplicative. He performs impossible math because He is limitless (Ephesians 3:20). As Dallas Jenkins says in his YouTube video, What God told me about my failure that led to The Chosen, “Your job is not to feed the five thousand; it’s only to provide the loaves and fish.”

How I got to this place

Five years ago, I didn’t know what biblical fiction was—let alone dream I’d love it and start writing a book series in that genre.

Every idea I’ve had for the series and every direction for its research have come from God. Tidbits I’d shelved as “interesting but probably don’t need” are now key features in the second book. That makes me confident of two things. I don’t know how God will honor your faithfulness in writing. I just know He will.

Conclusion

If God nudged you to write a book, He will bless your efforts beyond your imagining.  He will lead you into opportunities you couldn’t engineer yourself. Even if your book is never published. And, in His hands, that won’t be a failure (Jeremiah 29:11).

I’m still wearing my knees out praying for a book deal. But I’m also praying for God’s POV.

Lana Christian has a dual writing career in medicine and ministry. She won numerous APEX awards for the former and ACFW awards for the latter. She loves secret staircases, third-story windows, jazz, and chai tea. She believes hiking can solve most problems, but God can solve every problem. Visit her at www.lanachristian.com or Twitter: @LanaCwrites.