by Alycia W. Morales @AlyciaMorales

While scrolling social media recently, I came across a very short statement. Don’t let your struggles become your identity. It stopped my scroll.

Have you ever done that? Have you ever given your struggle so much power that you claimed it as part of who you are?

In Numbers 13, the Lord tells Moses to send men to spy out the land of Canaan, because He’s about to give the land to the children of Israel. Moses chooses men who were heads of the tribes, men who should have been leaders, confident, strong, and courageous.

Before they head off to spy out the land, Moses gives them directions on how to get there—the way—and tells them what questions he wants answers to upon their return. He then tells them, “Be of good courage. And bring some fruit of the land” (Numbers 13:20, NKJV).

Off they go, following Moses’ directions to a tee. The one cluster of grapes they returned with had to be carried between two men, it was so large and heavy. That’s fruit!

Remember, God has promised this land that flows with milk and honey and giant fruit to the children of Israel. Can you say blessing?

BUT. (And this is not a But God.) Listen to what the men say next.

“Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there” (Numbers 13:28). Then they list all the “Ites” who live in the surrounding areas.

And Courageous Caleb quiets the voices and says, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30). This one man of God knows in his heart that God has promised the children of Israel this land and that God keeps His promises. He knows that God’s word doesn’t come back void. That in God’s might, they will succeed, because He has already won the victory.

But the people only see their potential struggle against the Ites. Listen closely to what their response is. “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we … The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants … and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:32-22, emphasis mine).

The children of Israel, these ten men who were heads of the tribes, identified themselves as grasshoppers in their own sight and the sight of the giants of the land. Here’s what gets me every time: they were spying out the land. The thing about spies is that they come and go unnoticed. These guys assumed they were grasshoppers in the giants’ sight. And that assumption kept them from entering their Promised Land.

They would rather die in the wilderness than enter into the land flowing with milk and honey and giant fruit that God had promised them. They walked through the Red Sea! Why didn’t they trust God to hand the land over to them?

Why do we, dear writers, take on our struggles as part of our identity rather than identifying as children of God, promised His goodness in the land of the living?

Have you ever struggled with and can you identify with any of the following?

Cowardice

Dear writer, take courage. Those big publishers may seem like giants, but God is bigger than an editor at a desk and a pub board. You will need to produce your work with excellence as unto the Lord to get past the slush pile, but you can have confidence in knowing that you’ve been obedient to what God has called you to do. And maybe that wall will fall, and you’ll walk right into your publishing land.

Imposter Syndrome

You are not a grasshopper. There are places in this world that you belong because God placed you there. He has uniquely gifted you with talents to fulfill the roles He has called you to in this life. It’s time to conquer your thought life by taking all those negative impostery thoughts captive to Christ. Seek out God’s truth about who you are as a writer and put those gifts and talents to good use.

Loner/Isolation

This work we writers have taken on is sometimes a lonely trade. We spend hours bent over our keyboards, typing away and creating our compositions for the King. But just because we’re sitting alone at a desk doesn’t mean we’re alone. Our God never leaves or forsakes us. The Holy Spirit dwells within us when we’ve accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, becoming our constant companion.

Competitive

Did you know that only thirty percent of writers who are asked for a submission by an editor at a conference actually follow through and submit? While we think writing is a competitive industry, by this standard alone it is not. The majority have dropped out before the competition even began! Don’t let that be you. Be a thirty percenter!

Fearful:

Are you afraid of what others will think of you and your writing? You are fearfully and wonderfully made by a Father who loves you so much that He doesn’t want to spend eternity without you. We are to fear only Him (in His awesomeness, not in a scared way), not what man can do to us. His perfect love casts out all fear. Focus on His love for you and keep putting words on those pages and in those social media posts.

Distracted

Psychologists have recently begun to consider cognitive fixation to be a barrier to creativity. Cognitive fixation is when we spend so much time focused on one solution that we neglect finding a novel solution to an issue. Or, in our case as writers, brainstorming new ideas for our novels. We are creative beings designed by our Creator, made in His image and likeness. And we have access to creative ideas far beyond our own limited cognitive fixations. So be distracted! But make sure you make time to put your butt back in that chair and focus on putting those ideas on the page.

Rejected

Yes, we all receive rejection letters throughout our careers. But instead of taking it personally, we need to shift our mindsets. First, what can we learn from this rejection? How can we apply it to what we create in the future? How can we use it to propel us forward, rather than backward? Let the rejection work God’s perfection in you. Second, consider this rejection as a protection. God closed the door for a reason. Maybe you weren’t ready yet. Maybe your writing craft needs more development. Or maybe the opportunity wasn’t the right one for you and He has something far better than you could ask or think in store. Don’t let rejection stop you from writing and pursuing publication.

Inconsistent

I want to celebrate the authors who are coming forward to let newbies know that they took seven years to write their first published novels. That this creative process doesn’t always happen overnight. That it takes time to produce your best work. And even then, because it’s your first, it isn’t truly your best. But God can and will still use it for His glory. Writer, we have to learn to trust in God’s timing and our personal creative clocks. What seems like inconsistency to you and those around you may truly just be God’s perfect timing.

Don’t allow your struggles to become your identity, dear writer. Focus on your identity in Christ and allow the Creator of the universe and you to use your words for His glory. Take a seat at your keyboard today and write your composition to your King (see Psalm 45:1).

Alycia Morales is a freelance editor and writer. Her work has been featured in numerous magazines and several compilation books. Thanks to her mad editing skills, her clients have won multiple awards in several national contests. She’s also a sought-after ghostwriter. In addition, she’s the prior Conference Assistant for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. Alycia is currently working on a nonfiction project while characters are running around in her mind waiting to be released into children’s books and YA fantasy novels.

When she isn’t busy writing, editing, and reading, Alycia enjoys spending time with her husband taking hikes in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Carolinas or running off to the beach with friends. She loves coffee, sweet tea, crafting, and watching crime shows.

Alycia can be found at alywmorales.com. She hangs out on Facebook and Instagram.