What if the very thing you were created to do is the one thing you’ve been most afraid of?
Not because you lack the passion or skill—but because deep down, it exposes you. Writing has always done that to me. It’s always been my escape and the tool I use to process my thoughts and emotions. But that also means it’s where the rawest parts of me get expressed.
And with that, it’s made me feel seen, vulnerable, and sometimes even ashamed. (Can you relate to the deep, dark secrets in your journal? Haha!) As a child, I was punished for my written words. Shamed for expressing myself. Told I was too much. Out of line. Truthfully, that left a mark. 😦
Not for Validation, but for Glory: How I Reclaimed My Calling to Write
For years, I still wrote—but behind closed doors. When I shared, it wasn’t to serve—it was to perform (writing assignments in school, resumes and job applications, apology letters when I “stepped out of line”).
And even when I wrote my blog many moons ago, I wrote what I thought people wanted to hear. Why? I hoped someone would affirm me, echo back what I never heard growing up: “You’re good enough. Your voice matters.” But I’ve come to understand something critical: validation will strangle your purpose if you let it lead.
I’m Not Here to Convince You—Only to Guide You
Here’s a truth I’ve had to confront: I used to think my job was to wake people up. Shake them out of denial. But that’s not my calling. I’m not here to yell directions to someone who doesn’t yet realize they’re lost because everyone is at different stages in their journey. And before I was awakened to the need for change in my life, I shut out all the voices that yelled the need for change. I rejected every single one, thinking they didn’t understand.
Now I know this: I guide the ones waving for help.
The people I write for? They know they’re stuck. They’re exhausted. Drowning in toxic environments. Silently battling self-doubt. And they’re ready for something different. They just don’t know how to get there yet. That’s where I come in because I was there. Sometimes I slip and regress to self-doubt, but I still push on. I am here to show those refusing to accept less than their full potential how to keep pushing through the darkness.
The Whisper That Changed Everything
It wasn’t a dramatic moment. I wasn’t on a retreat or in a church service or whatever. I was standing in my kitchen, stirring a pot of dinner for my family, when I heard it in my spirit:
“You’ve always been sharing your writing for validation… not to serve.”
That whisper broke something open in me.
I realized I’d been watering myself down—editing out the parts that felt too raw, too vulnerable, too risky. I avoided anything that might upset people or invite criticism. I didn’t write to be real—I wrote to be accepted. And that’s not obedience. That’s self-preservation. The sad truth is that when you’ve spent so many years in survival mode, self-preservation becomes your reflexive muscle.
Here’s another truth, though: obedience doesn’t always come with applause.
I Won’t Lie to You
Let me tell you something I wish more people would say out loud:
While I feel as if this time I am walking in my purpose, let me also tell you the truth—
The imposter syndrome?
Still here.
The self-doubt?
Louder than ever.
The fear?
Almost paralyzing some days.
I struggle deeply with all of it. And honestly, it’s only gotten worse since I decided to step into this calling and start writing again. But here’s what I know for sure:
God is with me.
I’m not going to sugarcoat anything for you. You’ll get used to this in my writing—raw, real, unfiltered. Because people don’t need more polished perfection. They need the truth. And the truth is: you can walk in your purpose and still feel terrified. But God’s presence is stronger than your fear.
An amazing post I read on Instagram the other day says it so well…
What Walking in Purpose Looks Like for Me Now
These days, I’m writing more than ever. I’m finishing my first book (set to release later this year). Drafting the second (you’ll learn more about that soon). Exploring ways to grow as a writer. Learning how to reach the people who need what I have to offer (I spend a LOT of time trying to figure this part out). It’s not flashy. It’s not always graceful. But it’s honest. And that’s what makes it sacred.
To the One Who’s Afraid to Step In
If you’ve been feeling a pull to do something that terrifies you—something that feels bigger than you—I want you to hear me:
You are enough.
If you weren’t, God wouldn’t have called you. The fact that it’s on your heart is already proof that you are chosen to carry it. Don’t wait until you stop feeling afraid. Don’t wait for the applause or for the pain of your past to disappear.
God didn’t promise easy—but He promised presence.
If He brought you to it, He will bring you through it.
Just don’t make your purpose a bargaining chip for validation.
Offer it as worship.
As surrender.
As obedience.
Because this isn’t about validation anymore.
It’s about God’s glory.
Reflection Question:
Where have you been holding back your gift out of fear of rejection?
Action Step:
Today, write one honest thing. Say one brave truth. Do it for purpose—not for praise. Just you and God.
– Lis
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