Verbage

As I think about it, I have been writing a long time now.  When I was in high school, my English teacher got me involved in essay writing at literary events.  Later when I went to my first church as pastor, I started writing a religious column for the weekly county newspaper.  It was a practice I managed to continue throughout my ministry except for the years I was in my appointment at Columbus. A few years before retirement, I started this blog.  I noticed the other day, there are over 1100 blog postings like this one hanging out there behind me. 

 

Back then in 2008, I never imagined writing that many blog postings.  In much the same manner when I started writing sermons every week back in 1971, I could not have conceived of all the verbage I would produce.  No matter how you look at it, there are a lot of words strung out behind me.  I had no idea when I was writing those essays what I was starting.  Or, maybe it is more appropriate to say, I had no idea God was preparing me for a life time of putting words together.  As a carpenter uses a hammer, words have been my choice of tools.

 

While I am sure a lot of those words have failed to communicate, I also believe that what we do for God is never a wasted effort.  As I remember the Matthew passage about folks doing a lot of good things like giving water to the thirsty and caring for the sick, I am reminded good things can be done for the wrong reasons which gives no pleasure to Christ.  I know there have been times when I have read what I have written too many times for the sake of patting myself on the back, but my prayer is that some of those words which have been a part of my ministry have been useful to God for whatever purposes He had in mind.  Pleasing Him is what matters.  This is true of writing as well as anything else we set out to do in His name.