Recently I heard someone sing a song of pain and need in which the singer asked God to “be small.”

Perhaps the lyricist intended what the psalmist wrote:

“Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down” (Psalm 144:5a).

If so, then why did the writer not use the psalmist’s words to ask God to be near, rather than asking God to “be small”?

Christians writing articles, poems, songs, drama, essays, and books can avoid shocking readers and listeners. Biblical writing provides the best guide and measure for our words.

The solution lies in paying close to elements like these:

Mission—What is the chief goal or purpose for every work? Is it pointing “up” to God, or is it focusing “below,” to things of self or the world? Regardless of writing genres, mission matters.

Message—Knowing the mission, we frame messages. The writer zooms in on words capable of carrying the most helpful tone and meaning in ways that are clear, interesting, and reliable.

Motive—Motive, being a complicated dynamic of life, requires prayer for discernment. With reverent awareness of God, the Christian writer asks self-examining questions, such as: Why do I want to write this (article, poem, song, drama, essay, or book)? What do I wish to accomplish with it? What is its mission? Is it to draw attention to myself/my pain/my dreams… or is it to help and uplift others? Am I speaking well, rather than relying on easy answers, phrases, and cliches? Is my over-riding intent to honor God and bring glory to Him, proclaiming who He is?

Meaning—Words carry symbolic meaning. Writers rely on dictionaries, thesauruses, and other wordsmith tools to search for the right words. Often the choices require much thought, reflection, and time.

God is eternally great, awesome in power. In such knowledge, Job in his despair cried out:

“How hast thou helped him that is without power? how savest thou the arm that hath no strength?” (Job 26:2).

Job’s own words took him next into remembrance of God’s creation and then, later in the chapter, into confession:

“the thunder of his power who can understand?” (26:14).

God is never small, nor should our words ever suggest Him to be so! We need God’s leadership over our writing, its meanings, messages, missions, and motives.