Let God Edit Your Life Before You Edit Your Book | Writing as Worship
- Chántelle Adanna
- Apr 29
- 3 min read
Happy Tuesday, Friends!
One question I get a lot from people and clients in this publishing arena is: What does the editing process entail when it comes to self-publishing?While it can vary on the surface level, I like to give practical tips that make the process smoother than you can imagine—and one of the biggest tips is this: Listen to God.
Why Listening to God Matters During Editing and Writing as Worship
A lot of memoirs—and even poetry—are driven by emotional and spiritual states, whether we realize it or not. This truth can sometimes cause the meaning, purpose, or goal of our writing to shift, aligning with our feelings—especially if those feelings are strong and deeply embedded in how we see ourselves. By nature, especially as writers, we are fueled by emotion.
And while that's beautiful, it can also make the process heavy—emotionally and spiritually taxing—especially when writing about pain, betrayal, or violation. Even when writing about joyful experiences, our biases can sometimes blind us to the deeper truth readers need to grasp from our text.
When you see writing as worship, emotions still exist, but the Holy Spirit becomes your guide.
How I Know: A Personal Example
I know this firsthand.I'm a walking vessel of emotion. For a long time, it was hard to balance my feelings in my life—let alone when I started writing for others outside of myself. For a while, my emotions ruled me, and that's dangerous because emotions fluctuate. That kind of instability leaves little to no consistency in your work.
When I first started writing my book and reached the editing stage, God was already working on me.
But truthfully, I was still living in disobedience in certain areas:
I was still smoking occasionally.
I wasn’t practicing spiritual hygiene—still hanging around people God had given me clear signs about.
I was still cursing, getting tattoos, and lacking true confidence (because my Bible reading rarely went beyond the daily verse that popped up on my phone).
I dabbled in yoga, burned sage, and tolerated the Jezebel spirit (as mentioned in the Bible), especially in the form of financial disobedience and toxic friendships.
And yet—through all of that—God still used me for His glory.He measured the true desires of my heart.And though some areas of my life were filthy, I believe He saw the core of me: a daughter who genuinely wanted to break generational curses with her words.
God's Mercy and Your True Desires
One thing I love—and still sometimes can't believe—is how deeply God knows our desires, even the ones we try to hide.
Discover the essence of true joy within the Holy Spirit—so you're not constantly trying to buy it, chase it, or date it.
He is merciful.
But that doesn't mean we shouldn't actively surrender to Him when stepping into something as spiritually vulnerable as publishing our story.
Before You Edit, Ask Yourself:
As the title of this post says, Before you jump into editing your manuscript, you should pause and reflect:
What has my surrender to God looked like?
What is He teaching me in this season?
What does He want me to learn, unlearn, and then share?
Some revelations God gives you are sacred.He won't call you to share everything with the world. And in a time when people love to overshare—often without discernment—many are sabotaging their gifts and God's plans for their lives by speaking too soon.
A Final Heart Check for Writers
If you’re a writer looking to publish but feeling lost, be still for a moment and ask yourself:
Have I lost Him in this pursuit of something I think I want?
Have I allowed Him to remove what’s not like Him in my heart before I achieve 'success' and risk forgetting how much I relied on His presence?
God wants all of you.Surrender to Him first—before you put yourself out into a world that, at its core, could care less about you.
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