In the last two months, one of the most common questions I’ve been asked is: “What does it take to be an author?”. The second most common question I’ve been asked is: “Does writing make a lot of money?” The third follows suit with “What do you really do?”
Everyone has a calling from God. At its core, this purpose is (or should be!) to share the gospel. Our job is to love God, love others, and take as many people with us to heaven as we can. Whether you’re a teacher, lawyer, doctor, custodian, or writer, our mission in life as Christians should be the same. There’s no greater value in one job over another as long as we’re living with this ambition in mind.
1 Corinthians 10:31 says it this way: “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (NLT). Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV) explains this further by noting that our profession doesn’t matter as much as our God-given purpose:
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
Because it’s commonly misunderstood, I’d like to shed some light on what it takes to be an author. In doing so, I hope you’ll find applications for your life—even if you aren’t an author!
The Top Two Traits You Need
During the second week of July, God allowed me to speak to young writers about how to make authorship a full-time, realistic, sustainable career. You can watch the replay here. In this virtual session, I made it my goal to encourage, equip, and inspire. Why? Because I know what it's like to feel discouraged, unarmed, and dull. I never want someone to face those feelings when it comes to what they believe Christ has called them to do in this life.
In any life calling, there are two traits you need to possess:
1. Bravery to fail
2. Courage to succeed
Bravery and courage are often used simultaneously, but they do have distinct differences. LinkedIn defines our terms this way:
“Bravery means having the guts to do what needs to be done, even if it means taking risks or facing danger head-on. Courage means having the strength of character required for such actions by acting confidently even when faced with adversity or uncertainty (or both!).”
As Christians, we know with confidence that our hope and strength come from Christ alone. It’s not found within ourselves, and cannot be found within ourselves, no matter how hard we push, pull, work, or try.
1 Chronicles 16:11 reminds us to search for the Lord and His strength continually, not our own. If you want to succeed at anything in this life, you have to be willing to fail.
1. Don’t Be Afraid to Fail
When I was a senior in high school, I desperately wanted to be Salutatorian. My best friend was one of four Valedictorians, and I desired to follow suit. When I missed the placement by a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of a decimal, I was defeated, crushed, and paralyzed. For four years I’d lived for perfection, and now the answer was clear: I was less than perfect.
Blinking back the tears from my eyes, I shook my head from side to side. I was a failure. I wasn’t good enough. Everything I’d worked hard for meant nothing. At least that’s what my mind told me.
It wasn’t until a teacher who saw me crying helped shift my perspective. I’ll never forget his advice:
“Amber, we learn more from our failures and mistakes than perfection will ever teach us.”
While he was right, it took me a long time to accept this advice. Still, I’ve never forgotten it. If we want to succeed in this life—as authors, teachers, lawyers, and followers of Christ—we must be willing to fail.
As an author, I’ve “failed,” more times than I can count. Numerous articles and pitches have been rejected, agents have told me my ideas will never work, and I’ve almost given up on my dream. But, on the other side of failure is success. The two go hand-in-hand because we learn from our mistakes and hiccups. We learn from the situations where we think “Oops, shoot, I just blew that,” and that’s okay!
About a month ago now, I started receiving acceptance for my writing. Since then, I’ve been offered numerous contracts from agents and had half a dozen people interested in my work. Calling up my mentor, I expressed my shock. But he wasn’t surprised.
“Amber, you’ve worked hard the last three years and grown a lot. This response is typical when you work hard. You learned from the failure, and now, here you are.”
Friend, whatever vocation or dream you’re pursuing today, don’t give up, especially when you encounter mess-ups or mistakes. Failure is part of the journey, and it isn’t really a failure. It’s a pathway to your success.
2. Don’t Be Afraid to Leap (Believe in God’s Promises)
We’ve established that failure is necessary for our growth, but what do we do after we’ve quote-on-quote failed? The second thing required of us when we pursue our calling is embracing the courage to succeed.
It sounds silly, but sometimes, one of the scariest parts of pursuing our purpose is deciding to leap.
We know in God’s Word that not even one word of His promises will return void (Isaiah 55:11). We also know that He who began a good work in us will follow it through to completion (Philippians 1:6). God keeps His promises (Proverbs 30:5-6), and even when we experience turbulence, He can use anything for our good (Romans 8:28). Yet, when these things apply to our vocation and calling, it can be difficult to see the light.
After five years of teaching, I had to leap into full-time authorship. Why? Because despite my fear, I knew it was what God created me to do. Contrary to popular belief, I will not be a starving artist under a bridge. The Author Conservatory has prepared me well to be an authorpreneur—someone with the skills to write books and build a business. Despite this planning, there came a time when I needed to “jump the ship.”
Jumping the ship isn’t blind or stupid faith. It’s confidence in what we believe Christ calls us to do in this life. For me, that calling right now is being an author and all that entails. That includes sharing the gospel through my writing, speaking, and business. Hebrews 11:1 (NLT) is a great reminder of this kind of faith:
“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see."
I’m not encouraging you to quit your job without plans for another one. I’m also not encouraging you to pursue selfish motives and ambitions. But in prayer, with supplication and thanksgiving, I’m encouraging you to pursue your God-given desires and dreams. To not lose hope. To hold onto faith. And when the time comes, to be willing to leap.
At the end of this past school year, I was faced with the decision to leap. God was opening doors to write full-time, but I was scared. Teaching is all I’ve ever known, and leaving a stable career with benefits and insurance for the unknown seemed terrifying. But you know what’s even more terrifying? Staying where you are when you know God’s calling you somewhere else.
Today, I don’t know where you stand. Maybe you’re at a crossroads of courage, or perhaps you’re wavering on the bridge of bravery. Friend, be encouraged. If God has called you to a particular dream or vocation, pursue it. The realm of your future is far greater than you could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21), but you have to be willing to fail. And when you embrace that failure, you can press on, knowing you need it to eventually succeed. Someday soon, you’ll be faced with leaping. I pray you leap.
Agape, Amber
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Tom Merton
Amber Ginter is a teacher-turned-author who loves Jesus, her husband Ben, and granola. Growing up Amber looked for faith and mental health resources and found none. Today, she offers hope for young Christians struggling with mental illness that goes beyond simply reading your Bible and praying more. Because you can love Jesus and still suffer from anxiety. You can download her top faith and mental health resources for free to help navigate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers from a faith lens perspective. Visit her website at amberginter.com.