As human beings, we all suffer at some point in our lives. Christians are certainly not exempt. Our sufferings take on many different guises – family, health, relationships, spiritual, mental, bereavement, work, financial . . . Some trials are more severe than others, some seem as if they will never end, and sometimes troubles seem to pile up, one on top of another.

broken window

But consider Job – not many of us have suffered as much as he did. Not only did he lose all his children and all his worldly goods, he also lost his health. His wife wasn’t the encouragement he must have longed for, and his friends . . . well, they didn’t exactly bring him comfort, did they!

However, there was a point to Job’s suffering. He possibly never knew it – but God allowed it for a reason. (Read the first two chapters of Job if you’re not familiar with the story.)

So, you might be wondering, what has this got to do with writing Christian fiction? Well maybe, just maybe, that dreadful trial you went through, and came out the other side of by the grace of God . . . maybe that was at least in part so that you could encourage others going through similar pain.

The Bible encourages us to comfort each other with the comfort we ourselves have received. What is the worst thing you have had to face? The time you felt like Job? How did you get through it? Could you include something of your own victory in a story, to give hope to Janet Wilson, founder of Dernier Publishing and Write for a Reasonchildren and young people?

It might be the most important story you ever write.

Janet

 

P.S. On a lighter note, Monthly Members are looking in detail at story conflicts this month. Conflicts are the basic building blocks of your plot; getting them right can dramatically improve your novel. Join us to make your stories the best ever! Follow this link 🙂 Together we can make a difference.

 

Have You Ever Felt Like Job?
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