It's not always easy to keep my focus where it belongs - on Jesus. It's especially difficult to do when I have a new book releasing. There is so much pressure to get it "out there" and I always suffer with nerves, worrying about whether people will like the book ... or not. It's hard not to be watchful about sales and concerned with the kind of reviews that come in. You would think I'd be over that by now. I've been writing and publishing books for a quarter of a century.A book release should be a celebration, not a time to worry about whether I got it right or I didn't. There's no time for that now. And I shouldn't be asking myself - Will the book fail? And if so does that mean I'm a failure?
Those kinds of thoughts are about me and what I need. That's not where my attention belongs. I need to be all about Jesus.
I should be rejoicing in what God has done. When I thought there would be no more novels written by me, He carried me through another book! That's amazing! I couldn't have done it on my own.
It is God who helped me find my story. It may not be the story for everyone, but no tale is. I thank God for giving it to me. And I thank Him for what He will do with it.
All I need be concerned with is, did I do what God asked of me? Did I work hard? Did I do my best?
When I can answer YES worries fade away. I'm free to rejoice in the beauty of being an instrument of God and playing just the right notes for just the right people.
We are all God's instruments. And as humans we have many frailties and insecurities. Whether we are asking if we've failed our children in some way or we don't measure up to expectations as a teacher, a musician, a doctor, a craftsman ... or any number of other talents or occupations we must remember that we can only do our best and trust God with the results. We'll never reach perfection. Only Christ is perfect. And all we do is for Him.
It's All For Him.
Grace and peace to you from God,
Bonnie
