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The Ten Commandments For Writers
by Anna Wood God set forth His 10 Commandments in Deuteronomy 5: 7-21. This is an adaptation of the originals as they might apply to writers. 1) The original: Thou shalt have none other gods before me. For writers: You shall not write in any way that puts anyone or anything ahead of the Lord God. Don't use your writing to idolize anyone or put someone on a pedestal that they do not deserve. 2) The original: Thou shalt not make thee any graven image. For writers: You shall not make writing an object of worship. To worship something or someone is to offer it your undying devotion no-matter-what--only God deserves that kind of devotion. 3) The original: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. For writers: You shall not invoke God's name to sell your writing. Resist the urge to put His name on something and call it Christian. He is not a marketing strategy. Do not "use" God to make a profit or to draw attention to yourself or your work. 4) The original: Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it. For writers: You shall rest one day each week to honor God. Take time to relax from your work and just be with, honor and worship God. 5) The original: Honor thy father and thy mother. For writers: You shall honor your parents with and through your writing. Your writing is not the place to reveal ugly things about your family. It is one thing to acknowledge your problems (without running your family down) as a way of helping others deal with theirs; it is quiet another to drag your parents or your family through the mud. 6) The original: Thou shalt not kill. For writers: You shall not "kill" anyone with your words. Words are very powerful things. To have the ability to write is a blessing and a gift. Do not use it to destroy life but to give life. 7) The original: Neither shalt thou commit adultery. For writers: You shall not write sexually stimulating words. If you are married, that it private to your husband or wife. If you are not, you have no right to be thinking such things anyway. Look at it this way: would you get up in public and "talk trash"? Of course you wouldn't, so don't write it. 8) The original: Neither shalt thou steal. For writers: You shall not steal words from other writers and say that they are yours. If God has blessed you with words, He will bless you with ideas. 9) The original: Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour. For writers: You shall not write lies or half-truths or arose suspicion against someone falsely. As you should speak the truth in love, so shall you write the truth in love. 10) The original: Neither shalt thou covet. For writers: You shall not be envious of other writers. If God has blessed another writer with a degree of success, rejoice with them. Work hard to achieve the level of success that God has in mind for you. Anna Wood is a Christian wife, mother of 9 children, homeschooler and writer. Her desire is to know, love, and obey God and bring Him glory and help others to do the same. Her website is called The Apples of Gold and is at http://theapplesofgold.com Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |