Ep25 | 5 Doubts That Make Christian Writers Question Their Calling

Are you feeling paralyzed by uncertainty about your writing calling? You're not alone. As Christian writers, we all struggle with the crippling doubt that silences our God-given voice and purpose.

In this powerful episode, I tackle the five specific doubts that attack us as Christian authors: the "Moses Doubt" (feeling unqualified), the "Gideon Doubt" (when circumstances contradict your calling), the "Jonah Doubt" (running from what God wants you to write), the "Elijah Doubt" (feeling isolated in your journey), and the "Peter Doubt" (comparison with other authors).

You'll discover biblical wisdom and practical strategies to overcome each doubt that's keeping you from fulfilling your writing ministry. Whether you're struggling with rejection letters, poor book sales, fear of vulnerability, or imposter syndrome, I provide the spiritual clarity you need to reconnect with your divine purpose as a writer.

Don't let doubt silence your pen another day.

🔥 If you resonated with any of these doubts we discussed today, I've created a special guide to help you gain clarity. The '4-Question Discernment Guide' picks up where today's episode leaves off, helping you translate what you've learned into personal clarity about your writing calling.

🎁 Download my free discernment guide to get clear on your calling

Your words matter to the Kingdom. It's time to write with confidence again.

👉 Listen now to discover what's stopping you from stepping into your calling!

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Transcript

I can't tell you how many times I've doubted if God really called me to write as a profession. But here's what I've since come to know. Doubt doesn't mean you've missed God's will for your writing.

Every great biblical figure questioned their calling. Moses at the burning bush, Gideon with his fleece, Jonah running the opposite direction.

So in this episode, I'm sharing the five specific doubts that attack Christian writers and the biblical truth to overcome each one. And by the end of today's conversation, I believe you'll be well on your way to being crystal clear about what God's calling you to do in your writing.

If you've ever wondered if you are really called to write or if God has someone better for this job, this message is for you friend. Plus, I have an awesome guide to help you discern if writing as a profession is truly your calling.

So get comfy, friend. This is episode 25.

I'm Urcelia Teixeira, ex real estate agent turned award winning Christian fiction author. When I wrote my first novel on a bucket list whim, I had no idea it would spark a spiritual journey that would redefine my calling.

But you know what friend? Self publishing wasn't easy. I got caught in the hustle chasing rankings and sales while desperately trying to stay rooted in Christ.

Now, by God's grace, I'm building my author business his way. And now he's called me to help you do the same. Welcome to the Anointed Scribe Podcast where faith meets business for Christian writers.

Let's write, publish and grow our author business God's way. Are you ready? Well then, let's get started.

Hey, it's your author friend Urcelia. And welcome to another episode of the Anointed Scribe Podcast where we learn to build our author business God's Way.

As always, I'm deeply, deeply grateful you chose to hit play to this episode today and that we get to spend this time together learning what it means to really partner with with God.

I'll tell you, I'm in such awe of what God has already been doing in your writing and author businesses. So please do keep sharing your victories with me. I love to get your messages.

I love to hear how God is working in your lives. You can DM me, or @ the risk of it sounding self serving, which I definitely don't want. If you feel led to really give God the glory by sharing it with the world, why not leave a review wherever you are listening to this episode. Just share with the world the transformation that's happened. Maybe coming from one of these episodes, or how this podcast is actually helping you connect with God, reconnect with God, and just getting transformed in your author journey.

And if you're a regular listener and subscriber, a special thank you to you friend, for choosing to come back here each Friday to hang out with me. Honestly, I'm overjoyed.

I'm humbled to be God's vessel in your journey, and I can't wait to hear how God is working in your business.

Of course, if you're new here and this is the first time you're listening, well, let me officially welcome you to the Anointed Scribe Tribe.

I wholeheartedly believe that it wasn't by accident that you landed on this episode today, and that this episode is exactly what you need to hear today. So my prayer for you today is that it blesses you that you are getting equipped, that it transforms you, that God speaks to you, that your relationship with God will just deepen and grow, and that you'll see things in a completely different way.

And then hit follow and stick around too. Because like I always say, you never know when one of these episodes give you the exact answer you've been praying for, right?

So let's get going, friend, and dive into today's show, which, as you've already heard from the intro, is on a topic that I have certainly encountered many times in my author journey.

And truthfully, I think it's a tool the enemy uses the most to stop you from doing what God wants you to do. And that's having you question if you are called to be a Christian writer, think about a time when you were following GPS directions and suddenly lost signal in the middle of nowhere.

That feeling of was I supposed to turn here? Am I going left? Am I going right? Am I still on the right route?

Was I even supposed to leave home?

This is exactly what happens when doubt clouds our sense of calling as writers. I don't know about you, but I've had those moments where I was absolutely certain God called me to write, to do this writing thing in a professional capacity.

And then a week later, I'm staring at my laptop thinking, is this really what I meant to be doing? Did I hear right?

If that's you right now, if you're in that wobbly space between confidence and confusion, I want to tell you that I think that you're exactly where you need to be right now.

So grab your coffee, find a comfy spot, and let's have an honest conversation about Something I think we don't talk enough about in Christian writing circles. And that's this doubt that shows up after we think we've identified our calling.

And you know what's funny, friend? We often think doubt means we've missed God's will.

Like somehow, if we were truly called to write, we'd never question it. We'd wake up every morning absolutely certain, with words flowing effortlessly and readers being divinely sent.

But I don't think that's how callings work, is it?

Think about the giants of faith in Scripture.

Moses argued with God at the burning bush. Gideon asked for not one, but two fleece signs. Jonah literally ran in the opposite direction, away from God.

Elijah had this dramatic ministry success and then immediately fell into depression under a juniper tree.

Peter walked on water and then started sinking the moment he looked at the waves.

These weren't signs that these guys were missing their calling.

They were part of the journey of their calling.

The same is true for us Christian writers. Doubt isn't evidence that you've missed God's call. It's often confirmation you are right in the middle of it. Because here's the thing.

The enemy doesn't waste time making us doubt things we are not actually called to do. He's not going to bother if you are not already in God's will.

So today I want to walk through five specific types of doubt that I've experienced personally and that I see constantly in the Christian writers I mentor.

I call them the five doubts that Silence Christian Writers. And I believe that identifying which one you are experiencing right now could be the key to reconnecting with the clarity and confidence you need to move forward in your writing journey today.

Okay, so the first doubt is what I call the Moses doubt. The who am I that I should go doubt.

Remember when God appeared to Moses in that burning bush? God laid out this amazing plan for Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. And Moses response was what? He was basically saying,

I think you have the wrong guy, God.

In Exodus 3:11, Moses says,

who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?

Sound familiar?

This is the doubt that whispers, who are you to write this book?

Look at all these other Christian authors.

They are more qualified than you, more educated, more spiritual than you. Who are you to come pop up out of nowhere and write a Christian book?

I experienced this doubt hardcore when I first felt called to write Christian fiction and again when God called me to do this podcast because I hadn't been to seminary, I wasn't a pastor's wife.

Who was I to write books that would guide someone's spiritual journey? Right,

but here's the thing about the Moses doubt.

God's response to Moses is the same response he has for us today. He didn't say, yeah, you're right, Moses, you are completely unqualified. Let me find someone else for the job.

He said, I will be with you.

Your qualification, friend, isn't in your resume or even in the amount of years you have been a Christ follower. It's definitely also not measured by worldly standards.

It's in your willingness to say yes.

It's in your desire to include God in your writing and business.

And it's in seeking God and His righteousness in all you do.

I remember reading a book by a well known Christian author and I was so intimidated by her beautiful writing and deep theological insights. I thought I could never write like this.

And then I read her bio and discovered that she started writing in her 40s with no formal training. She just felt God nudging her and said yes. She was just open to getting direction from God.

Because you see, she knew God like me. I know God. I've experienced his transformation firsthand. I've allowed him to transform me and I'm allowing Him to use me. I'm allowing him to direct me, I'm allowing Him to guide me.

And that's the antidote to the Moses doubt. Remembering that God doesn't call the already qualified, he qualifies the called. He isn't looking for the most impressive resume. He's looking for availability and obedience.

So if you are battling the Moses doubt today, ask yourself, am I measuring my calling by my capabilities or by God's? Because if your sense of inadequacy is keeping you from writing what God has placed on your heart, you might actually be looking at the wrong measuring stick.

The second doubt is what I call the Gideon doubt. If the Lord is with us, why has all this happened? Doubt.

Now, this one's especially sneaky because it sounds so logical. In Judges 6, when the angel appears to Gideon and says, the Lord is with you, mighty warrior.

Gideon essentially responds by saying, if the Lord is with us, why is everything going so terribly?

See, he was looking at Israel's circumstances, oppressed by enemies, crops being destroyed, and he just couldn't reconcile that with God's supposed presence and favour.

For us as Christian writers. The Gideon doubt shows up when our circumstances seem to contradict our calling. It sounds like if God really called me to write this book, why isn't Anyone buying it?

If this message is so important to God, why did I get all these rejections?

If I'm truly anointed for this, why is it so hard to find time to write this doubt hit me hard after my second book. The first one had done pretty okay, and I was feeling confident that I was on the right path.

Then the second book launched, and crickets, at least for a little while. Hardly any sales. Very few reviews. I remember sitting at my desk thinking, God, did I hear you right?

If you called me to this, why does it feel like I'm shouting into a void?

But you know what's fascinating about Gideon's story?

These circumstances weren't evidence that God wasn't with him. They were precisely why God was calling him in that moment.

The struggle wasn't a contradiction of his calling. It was the context for it.

The same might be true for you. Maybe your book isn't selling because God is using this season to refine your message, to deepen your dependence on him, to prepare you for a platform you can't handle.

Yet this happens more often than we realize in Christian publishing.

Books that seem to fail in their first season often find their purpose later in God's timing. Think about devotionals that sell barely any copies their first year, but then somehow, wham.

They land in the right hands at the right time. Or manuscripts that collect rejections until suddenly, years later, they become exactly what a publisher is looking for at that exact moment.

What looks like failure in the moment is often just preparation, friend. God's timeline rarely matches our publishing expectations, but his purposes are never thwarted by slow seasons or seeming setbacks.

The antidote to the Gideon doubt is remembering that God's timing rarely matches our expectations and circumstances are poor indicators of calling.

Success in God's economy often looks very different from success in publishing metrics.

Okay, the third doubt is what I call the Jonah doubt, running from what we know. God wants doubt. And this one's a little different because it's not really about questioning if God has called you.

It's about questioning whether you want to follow that call.

We all know the story. God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh, and Jonah books a ticket in the opposite direction. Why? Because he knew exactly what God wanted, but he didn't want to do it.

For Christian writers, the Jonah doubt often sounds like this. I know God wants me to write about my struggles with anxiety, but it's too vulnerable.

I feel called to address this controversial topic, but I'm afraid of the backlash. Or how about this one? Which I hear almost all the time God keeps placing this book on my heart, but it's not what sells.

This doubt is especially tricky because it disguises itself as wisdom or prudence. You try to reason it away by saying, I'm just being practical or I'm not ready yet, or the timing isn't right, or I'm following best advice.

I've been there. When God first nudged me to be more bold with specific biblical themes in my writing, I ran the other way. I kept writing safe material that wouldn't ruffle any feathers.

I was Jonah at that boat to Tarshish, technically still serving God, just not in the uncomfortable way he was asking me to.

But here's what I've learned about the Jonah doubt. Running from your true calling doesn't lead to peace. It leads to restlessness. It lets you toss and turn and not get any sleep because deep down you know the message God has actually called you to write.

And no amount of success or best practice strategy with a substitute message will satisfy that inner knowing.

So here's the antidote to the Jonah doubt, and that is to have honest conversation with God about your fears.

Jonah should have just said, God, I'm afraid of going to Nineveh because this, that or the other. Instead, he ran. But here's the truth. God can handle your hesitation.

He can address your concerns, but you have to voice them. You have to be honest about them.

What's the writing equivalent of Nineveh for you?

What message or project do you know in your spirit you are called to, but you've been running from?

Maybe today's the day to turn your ship around, friend.

The fourth doubt is what I call the Elijah doubt. I'm the only one left doubt.

This one comes from 1 Kings 19, where the prophet Elijah, after an incredible victory on Mount Carmel, finds himself alone in the wilderness, saying to God, I'm the only one left.

For Christian writers, especially in today's publishing landscape, this doubt can be crippling. It sounds like no one else is writing what I'm writing.

I don't fit into any of the popular Christian book categories or genres. I feel alone in this journey with no one who understands what I'm trying to do here.

What's beautiful about Elijah's story is God's response. He doesn't argue with Elijah's perception. He doesn't immediately introduce him to the 7,000 others who haven't bowed down to Bol. Instead, he he meets Elijah's physical needs, speaks to him in a gentle whisper, and gives him community specifically Elisha, who would walk alongside him.

So the antidote to the Elijah doubt is intentional community. When you feel like the only one. That's precisely when you need to reach out and find your people, find your tribe.

Hint hint.

They're out there. Other writers wrestling with similar callings Readers hungry for exactly what God has put on your heart to write.

That's actually why God has called me to create the Anointed Scribe tribe, because I needed it myself. At the time. I needed to know I wasn't the only one trying to build an author business.

God's way that there's a group of like minded authors who desire to bring God glory with their writing without feeling like it falls short of the latest marketing tactic or strategy that makes perfect industry business sense just to sell more books without feeling like there's competition or comparison.

So friend, if you're feeling isolated in your writing journey right now, can I encourage you to reach out? Join our Facebook group Sign up to the newsletter, Find a writing circle, Connect with other Christian authors.

I promise you, you are not the only one fighting the good fight.

Which brings me to the fifth and final doubt, which I call the Peter doubt. The Taking our eyes off Jesus to look at the waves doubt.

Now this comes from the very well known scene in Matthew 14 where Peter is actually walking on water toward Jesus, doing the impossible right until he notices the wind and waves and then starts to sink.

See, for Christian writers, this doubt creeps in when we take our eyes off Jesus and start fighting, focusing on the publishing waves around us.

Her book is outselling mine. His platform is growing faster than mine. That author got the exact deal I was praying for. Why didn't I get it?

This doubt is particularly dangerous because here's the truth. It attacks us when we are actually making progress in our calling.

Peter wasn't doubting while he sat safely in the boat. He was doubting while doing the miraculous thing Jesus had actually called him to do.

That's when he was doubting.

I struggle with the Peter doubt constantly. I'll be writing, feeling in flow, sensing God's pleasure in my work. And then I make the mistake of checking Amazon rankings or social media metrics and suddenly I'm sending thinking in comparison and doubt.

Can you relate friend?

But what's powerful about Peter's story is that even in this doubt, he did the right thing. He cried out and he said, lord, save me. And immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.

So the antidote to the Peter doubt is to keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. The author and the perfector of your faith. It's measuring success by faithfulness rather than metrics.

It's remembering that we are called to obedience, not outcomes.

And here's a little something I do when I find myself sinking in comparison. I ask myself, am I focused on the waves or on the one who walks on them?

That simple question helps realign my perspective and brings it all back into focus for me.

So there you have them friend. The five doubts that silence Christian writers. The Moses doubt that says who am I to write this? The Gideon doubt that says if God called me, why is it so hard?

The Jonah doubt. I know what God wants, but I'm afraid.

The Elijah doubt I'm alone in this journey.

Or the Peter doubt Everyone else is doing better than me.

So here's what I need you to remember today, friend. Experiencing these doubts does not mean you've missed God's calling. It means you are human, walking a divine path. You are in your calling.

Every person God has ever used significantly has wrestled with doubt. The question isn't where the doubt will come, it's how you'll respond when it does.

Will you let doubt silence your pen? Or will you write through it?

Will you allow it to be the end of your story? Or will you see it as simply another chapter in a larger narrative? God is writing through you.

I believe that clarifying your call to be a Christian writer is an ongoing conversation with God, not a one time revelation.

It requires regular reconnection when doubt breaks your connection with your purpose.

That's why I've created a special four step discernment guide called Am I Called to Write Professionally? To help you cut through the noise of doubt and hear God's voice clearly again.

Essentially, it picks up where today's episode leaves off, giving you four simple specific spirit led questions to reflect on that will translate what you've learned here today into personal clarity about your writing calling.

If you've been nodding your head through this episode, thinking that's exactly how I feel, then I think you'll really benefit from doing this exercise. You'll find the link to download it for free in the show Notes Take a few quiet moments with a cup of coffee, your Bible, and just listen for God's voice as you work through each question.

Because here's what I know for sure.

God does have a specific writing purpose for you. Not just a general go make disciples command, but a unique expression of that command that only your voice,

your story, your perspective can fulfill. And the world needs what only you can write, friend and Sometimes all we need are the right questions to help us hear his calling more clearly, to help us reconnect to our purpose as Kingdom writers.

So if doubt has been silencing your pen lately, I hope this conversation has helped you identify which doubt you are facing and given you some practical ways to combat it.

Remember, doubt isn't the absence of faith, it's the opportunity to exercise it. Keep writing friend. Keep showing up. Keep saying yes, even when the doubts come. Because they will come.

But they will never get the final word. God does. Because for such a time as this, you have been Called to be God's Anointed Scribe Friend thank you so much for listening to today's episode of the Anointed Scribe podcast.

I would love, love, love to know what resonated most with you today. So do let me know by leaving a review in the show description please. And if you want more biblical strategies and spirit led wisdom on how to build your author business God's way, make sure you like or subscribe to the show so you can get regular updates of all the new episodes the most moment they drop.

Then head on over to anointed scribe.com for today's show notes and a link to sign up to my newsletter, which will also give you free access to all the resources I personally use to help me in my writing life.

If you want to continue discussions on today's episode or just want to connect with me directly, I love if you join the Anointed Scribe tribe. You'll find the link to my private Facebook group group in the show description.

So friend, I hope that you are leaving feeling inspired, encouraged and on fire to step boldly into your calling as a writer chosen and set apart to fulfill a unique purpose in God's plan.

I look forward to our next episode together and remember, for such a time as this, you have been called to thrive as God's Anointed Scribe.