“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John 3:30 ESV

This scripture has been on my mind a lot recently. It’s a challenging principle to embody. While we may outwardly express a desire for God to take center stage, there’s often an internal murmur hoping for our own elevation too.

“Hey, God. I want you to increase. But, if I could increase a little as well that would be great.”

This tension magnifies when you’re an author striving to both write and promote your work. In an industry where building a platform is crucial, humility and contentment become the elusive virtues we all seek.

Too much success can lead us to erect personal empires, while too little can trigger jealousy, causing us to undermine others’ accomplishments.

My aspiration as a writer is to capture the hearts of young boys and men who are disenchanted with reading. I want to turn their apathy into a love for storytelling.

Yet, when they follow me, on social media, my blog, etc. I don’t want them to see a cultural warrior steeped in politics or riveting with anger. I want to aim for them to see a reflection of Jesus. Have I succeeded in that?

So, how does one sideline their ego? How do you arrive at a point where you’re comfortable with being sidelined yourself?

It’s a tough conundrum.

At the end of the day, our mission as authors should be to inspire thoughts that lead people closer to Jesus.

Do my stories do that? Does my presence?