By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Writing is a gift from God, a worthy and worshipful experience that allows us to join our hearts and minds with the Creator of the universe. That thought alone can make us tremble—the responsibilities to the craft, readers, helping other writers, and all that entails the writing ministry should inspire humility in us.

But sometimes “worthy distractions” fool the writer into believing their wants negate God’s priorities. We are somehow immune because we feel we are special. What do I mean by “worthy distractions” in this context?

Writing is a ministry and a sacred gift from God, so I don’t need to:

• Care for my aging parents.
• Spend quality time with family.
• Enjoy friendships.
• Neglect exercise and health-conscious wisdom.
• Ignore quiet time and Bible study.
• Skip church and small group.
• Pray for wisdom and direction.
• Edit for quality.
• Listen to professionals in my writing career.

When we step away from God’s mandates, problems rise in every aspect of our lives, and the gift of writing becomes an idol.

God has given me the gift of writing, so I don’t need to:

• I don’t need to study the craft. It’s already been drop-shipped into my mind.
• I don’t need to engage with readers. The Holy Spirit and media will contact those who should purchase my book.
• I don’t need to spend time posting and responding on social media platforms. God’s got this. I have better things to take up my time.
• I don’t need to mentor other writers. Are you kidding? If they want to write, let someone else teach them.
• I don’t need to contribute to blogs or online resources to share what I’ve learned. I’m too busy.
• I don’t need to research my information for clarity and truth.
• I don’t need to attend or teach writing workshops and conferences. I’m too important.

Avoiding these distractions is crucial for maintaining our witness, relationships, and outreach.

My mission is to help writers achieve spiritual and professional success by embracing the following three essential qualities of a Christian writer and to steer clear of pitfalls.

1. God desires to be first in our lives. We are to love Him with all our heart, mind, and soul in true worship.
2. God desires us to love our neighbor as ourselves and to prioritize relationships.
3. God desires us to treasure His gifts, develop them, and mirror Him for others.

God’s scribes are not me-centered. There is no room for selfishness, greed, or demands that shove us before God.

Do you have a suggestion to keep God first and not feed our needs with worthy distractions?

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards, the Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, an active member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBub, YouTube, LinkedIn. or her website: diannmills.com