As a Christian author, I network with other authors and writers, as well as those who aspire to publish in the future. Some groups are Christian-writing focused, and one of the major blockages I observe Christian writers having is the issue of making sure we have “God’s permission” to write the things we want to say. In some cases, this issue prevents people from ever sitting down to actually write the things that are on their heart. I want us to take a look at this issue of permission from God and see what the Bible tells us about it, as this is a tactic the enemy uses to stop people from doing all that God has equipped them to accomplish.
In 2 Samuel 7 we see David talking to Nathan the Prophet, sharing his concern that God has given David a palace and victory over his enemies, but that God doesn’t have a place to reside. That night, God spoke to Nathan and basically said “I’ve never needed, wanted, or asked for a physical temple. Yet, David wants to build me one, so I will bless him greatly and I will let him get the materials and have his son build me a temple in the future.” It was never in God’s heart to have a temple of stone to begin with, as He had always planned to commune directly with mankind. And yet, when David voiced a desire in his heart of something he wanted to do *for* God, God spoke to the prophet and gave David the green light.
Why does this matter?
Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to “be in the middle of God’s will” that we don’t understand God will often adjust what He is doing or how He is doing it to match up with the desires in our hearts. God didn’t need a temple. He didn’t really want a temple any more than He wanted Israel to have kings. But God gave David a desire in his heart and decided to make that a part of His divine plan, thereby letting David do all that was in his heart to do and simultaneously putting him in the center of God’s will for his life.
Often, we can ask God for permission on some project or in some area of our life and we hear nothing. If God doesn’t clarify anything specific one way or another and it isn’t already explicitly clear in scripture one way or the other, I believe we can simply carry out what is in our hearts to do with wisdom. Even if God didn’t specifically say “Go ahead,” God has also not prohibited us. If we look back at the Temple, God didn’t start that–David did. But God saw what was in David’s heart and said “Okay, I can go with that. Do what is in your heart to do for me.”
Elsewhere in scripture it says “God gives us the desires of our heart.” That can be taken two ways–first, God fulfills our desires. Second, the only reason those desires exist is because God put them there. In either case, we cannot let our own fears stop us, and while I see this regularly with writing, it isn’t specific to writing.
There are so many different dreams and ideas people have that they never step out and make happen because they are afraid they will somehow be walking outside of God’s will for their life. What they are forgetting is that all of life is meant to be a partnership with God. God would walk in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, not because God needed exercise, and not because God was trying to map out the garden. He created every square inch and knew every leaf and root in the place. God wasn’t walking there because He needed something—He was doing it to be with Adam and Eve and what they were doing.
I think we can all agree that we don’t want to live outside of God’s will, but my point here is that unless we are in blatant disobedience, God actually wants us to be creative, to explore, and to try new things. God wants us to dream and step out and expand our horizons. God doesn’t have a specific to-do list for each of us that He is keeping divinely hidden so we have to work really hard to search it out, hoping that we get it right, fearful that we don’t mess up.
If you have been holding back from doing something, whether writing a book or anything else, all because you are afraid of “walking outside of God’s will” then it is time to deal with the fear. The world is waiting for you to be courageous, take a risk, and do what is in your heart to do for God. If God hasn’t said “no” and it isn’t blatantly against what you already know God stands for, then you have permission. God is looking to raise up mature sons and daughters who are able to maturely handle the word of righteousness and act accordingly. We teach three year olds how to put clothes on, but we expect thirty year olds to be mature enough to buy their own clothes at stores of their choosing, dress themselves, and do their own laundry. God is, in many ways, the same. We don’t always need to be told what to do—sometimes God is waiting for us to do what we already know because He has given us sufficient instruction in the past.
God has already given you permission. It’s time to unleash your dreams.
Featured Image used with permission by my granddaughter Sage Rivers at Lupineandsage.com
