For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. James 1:3

If you are a writer, then you know that the most dreaded response from a publisher begins with the words, “Thank you for your submission, but…” We cringe because we know that those nice words invariably begin every rejection letter! However, if your first novel, article or poetry was jubilantly accepted by a large highly acclaimed publisher, then read no further. But, if like many of us, you have written several novels, articles, or oodles of poems and have little to show for it beyond a few meager acceptances and an inbox filled with rejections, then let’s see what the Bible has to say. In today’s verse, James, tells us that it is neither our acceptances, nor our successes that increase our faith but our tests. When our best efforts are challenged, just as heavy work pushes our muscles to the breaking point, so our rejections cause us to dig deeper and focus more clearly on our writing goals. They bring us face to face with the why’s of our ambitions, and the purpose of our message. Are we writing so that we can become popular, or is our true motivation to serve God and our readers? Rejection has pushed me to keep going beyond my frustration, when what I thought was a great poem or article, wasn’t something anyone wanted to read, or a publisher was willing to pay for. But to be honest, it has been my rejections that have motivated me to work towards becoming a better writer, a better editor and most of all a better follower of Jesus. So, I love being rejected! It is those wonderful rejections that have drawn me closer to the heart of Jesus: Who is The Word of God, and the best-selling message of all time!