© 2021 Heather Mertens

We love to give gifts to others. Yet we sometimes forget that we’ve all been given gifts to share, and I’m not just talking about the obvious ones. One such gift is sharing through writing. 

I think the true description of writing should be getting what is in our heads, hearts, and souls out as written word to share with the world in hopes that it touches others in a meaningful way.
 
No matter how technical the words are that we put on screen or paper, everything we share outside ourselves should bring something true and helpful to the reader. It is in going on this quest for sharing our experience and knowledge that the world can change for the better. 

That is the one thing we must keep as our main goal. Why? Because all the “publishing” things and all the “marketing” things and all the “networking” things can make us lose sight of that quest. Then our true journey to share becomes muddled and suppressed. We unwittingly push it near the bottom of our personal priority list. We often forget why we are writing in the first place. It’s so very easy to get trapped in the modes of transports of our journey.

• Get more subscribers.
• Design your website exactly like this.
• Pay for all this to get to your goal.
• Make sure your marketing follows this perfect formula.
• Attract more followers.

You’ve probably heard those comments numerous times. 
 
I’ve been involved in writing, marketing, and website design in many forms for over twenty-five years, and I’ve seen and heard it all. Sadly, I’ve also seen a lot of people cry tears of frustration, exhaustion, and pain from receiving all that “expert advice.” I’ve heard the anguish in many who’ve been let down by the “system” we call marketing. 
 
Let me let you in on a secret . . . God has all the “followers” we need. 
 
That’s not a secret God is keeping from us. It’s a path we’re keeping from ourselves and each other. And for most of those who do reach the final stages of publishing, at what cost do they arrive? And at what cost do they stay? Their stories have been altered, their money has been wasted, and their hearts have been broken.

You might be thinking Should I not try to get published and give up that part of my vision?
 
No! Not in a million years would I discourage you from pursuing the sharing of your experiences. Every writer’s journey will look different, but what’s most important is where God wants to take you, not how you get there. 

It’s heartbreaking to see so many tears before writers realize that the quest to share has been lost. It finally settled into me years ago that I’m writing to share what God has done in my life—for His glory and not my own. If we are seeking God’s plans every step of the way, we will not get caught up in the muddled mess “just to get published.” We will remember that He has all the “followers” we need because they are already—or hopefully will be—His followers.
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Heather Mertens is a writer of Christian Apologetics and is working on her upcoming video and podcast series titled “Talk Spot.” There she will be discussing the hard questions we all ask in life about the eternal perspective and current topics of living in an ever-changing world. She also coaches and teaches writers and blog and business owners how to have an effective presence on the web, with her 25 years of experience in web design and marketing.