Writing as Joy

This weekend at a book signing, a lady kept hanging out at my table. She blushed eventually and shyly explained that she was staying because she felt the Holy Spirit right there! “His joy is so evident,” she explained.

Joy is one of the most surprising fruits of the writing life. We often expect writing to be purposeful, meaningful, obedient, or healing—but joy? That one can sneak up on us. Yet Scripture teaches that joy is not merely a feeling; it is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22, NIV). When the Spirit works through us, joy appears in unexpected places—sometimes even between the lines of a paragraph.

Image by Valeriu Cuțebov from Pixabay

Writing as joy doesn’t mean writing is easy-street. It doesn’t mean every session feels inspired or every project flows effortlessly. Instead, joy in writing is a deep gladness that arises because God is present in the work. It is the satisfaction of partnering with Him, the quiet delight of creating with the Creator, and the sense of being caught up in something bigger than ourselves.

Joy Begins With the Giver

The Bible tells us plainly: “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10, NIV). Joy is not something we manufacture through success, productivity, faux cheer or positive thinking. Joy is the strength that comes from God Himself—a supernatural steadiness that empowers us to keep going.

Writing becomes joy when we write with Him and for Him.

Whether you’re drafting a novel, a devotional, a poem, or a Substack post, joy enters when you recognize that the God who created galaxies also delights in the words you’re shaping. That alone permeates the process with a holy kind of pleasure.

Joy in the Process, Not Just the Product

We often tie joy to outcomes—finishing the book, posting the article, gaining the subscriber, receiving the feedback. But Kingdom joy is different. It shows up in the process, not just the product.

The psalmist writes, “In Your presence there is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11, NIV). Where is God’s presence? Not just at the end. Not only when the work is polished. But right there at your keyboard, in the disheveled mezzo, when you are wrestling, questioning, discovering, and shaping—and still trying to be obedient!

We sometimes forget that God is not waiting at the finish line. He’s in the dreaming stage, the drafting stage, the brainstorming stage, the revising stage, the deleting stage, and in the grand finale.

When we embrace His presence in each stage, writing becomes a place of companionship rather than a place of striving.

Joy That Overflows

True joy is never self-contained. Like living water, it spills outward. Jesus says, “Whoever believes in Me… rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
—John 7:38 (NIV)

When you write from a place of joy, your readers feel it. Your words carry life. Your message carries hope. And apparently, so does your table at a book signing! Even difficult topics—pain, trauma, faith struggles—are instilled with joy because joy is not the opposite of sorrow. Joy is the presence of God within sorrow.

Writers who write from joy give the world something rare: words that refresh, uplift, and breathe spiritual oxygen into weary souls.

Joy That Strengthens the Writer

Joy sustains us through the long, faithful journey of writing. Jeremiah said, “Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16, NIV). Note: God’s words brought him joy, but Jeremiah’s call was not easy. Likewise, your calling to write may lead you through seasons where inspiration feels thin or writing feels costly.

But joy—God’s joy—fans the flame and keeps the keyboard alive.

Keep going! Your writing matters.

Joy reminds you that your writing is not wasted. Joy becomes the reason you return to the page, even after discouragement or rejection.

Joy Rooted in Purpose

There is joy in knowing that God uses your writing to reach hearts you may never meet. Philippians 1:6 (NIV) assures us that, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” One thing I learned during my visits to Heaven was that our gifts are carried forward there. When He provided you these desires and talents, they were for LIFE, and will be enhanced and used in Heaven too.

Your writing is a huge part of that good work. This is your practice run and your training ground.

Every time you sit down to write, you participate in something God Himself has started in you. That sense of purpose—of being a vessel, a messenger, a storyteller—brings joy no matter how minuscule the project feels.

Joy in Small Beginnings

We often feel discouraged by small audiences or slow progress, yet Scripture encourages us: “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”—Zechariah 4:10 (NIV)

God rejoices when you begin—when you take that step. He rejoices over your start, your messy mezzo, your over-saturated sentence, your cheesy character, your chosen structure, your “troupey” ending.

Even your imperfect drafts (or perhaps ones you dropped and have yet to complete) bring Him joy because you are walking in the calling He planted inside of you, for Him, yourself and others.

A Call to Write With Joy

Writing as joy doesn’t mean ignoring hardship. It means recognizing that joy—the fruit of the Spirit—meets you in the work. It grows as you write. It flows through you into others. And it becomes a testimony that God is doing something beautiful through your gifts.

As you write this week, ask Him:

• Lord, where can joy enter this process?

• How can I write from Your joy instead of my own pressure?

• What would it look like to let joy soften my deadlines, my doubts, and my perfectionism?

May you discover that writing is not merely expression—it is delight. A place where you and God create together. A place where joy becomes strength, presence, and overflow.

And may every word you write carry the quiet, steady joy of the One who first wrote love into your life.

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