Context

Conveying the meaning of a story requires a writer's entire bag of tricks. Some of these include: word usage, sentence structure, plot and characterization.

As I searched for the meaning of a Bible passage today, a good friend reminded me about the importance of not taking it out context. I have found that when I am going through a trial, or looking for the answer to a question, God's Word does supply me with the wisdom I long for.

However, haphazardly thumbing through the concordance to sit on one passage of Scripture (without studying an entire chapter or book) can cause me to lose the meaning of what God intended to say.

Working this principle backwards, the same can be true for writers. It is important for us to be clear about the message we are trying to convey. Whether you like to brainstorm or you prefer to discover as you go, I want to emphasize the importance of clarifying your message before your reader comes into the picture.

In God's great masterpiece, the Bible offers loads of back story, setting and story arch for every set of eyes that land there. I thank God for the people He brings into my life who are willing to ask the hard questions. Have you taken a passage of Scripture out of context? Has it affected your message ... your writing?

Part of our job as a writers is to embrace the hard questions, and to stop at nothing in our search for the answers.