What God Can Do

I believe we all had dreams as kids of what we wanted to be when we grow up. I would have never imagined that I would be doing what I am doing today. Being a writer is not something I dreamed of being as a kid. I didn’t start pursuing this job, until after getting married and having kids. I started this journey because I wanted more content that I can sit down with my whole family and enjoy. That is when I decided what type of writer I wanted to be. The film industry is one of the toughest jobs to get your foot in the door. This is the same for the faith-based and secular film industry. When I was studying to be a writer, I was constantly told do not go in the faith-based industry. I was told this by both professors and other students. I get why they thought this about the faith-based industry. They didn’t take these types of movies seriously. I love a good challenge, or you could say that I am stubborn. I decided to dig in my heels and prove them wrong.

God put me on a journey and I had no clue where His destination was for me. In my time leading up to now, I have written three books, tons of scripts and tons of short stories. Being a writer is kind of a curse. There is a story in everything we see and sometimes it’s hard to turn that off. I constantly find myself creating new stories. I can’t even shut it off when I am sleeping. I knew that if I was going to be successful as a writer there were things I needed to do. I found scriptures to back these things up.

 The first thing I needed to do was to always be praying. Philippians 4:6-7 says “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. I can’t tell you the number of times that I would get stuck while writing. When this occurs, I know that it’s time to stop and spend time in prayer. I pray that God will free up my mind and guide me in the way the story needs to go. I pray that God will use the story to lead people to Him. I have to tell you that prayer works. I encourage you to be in prayer for everything you are doing. Trust God with your needs.

 The second thing I needed to do was to honor God. Romans 12:2 says “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. During my time studying to be a writer, there were two words that seemed to dominate every class. Those two words were “Sex Sells.” Think about where the entertainment industry has grown into. Think about what we have let become acceptable for our families to watch. I can stand today and say that there are two more powerful words that are true in all aspects of our lives. Those two words are “Jesus Prevails.”

 The third thing I needed to do was to stay focused. Proverbs 4:25 says “Let your eyes look directly forward and your gaze be straight before you. “Romans 8:5-8 says, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their mind on the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. I knew I needed to keep my focus to where God was leading me. I didn’t expect this journey to easy but knew how important focusing on God would be in achieving His goals for my career.

 The fourth thing I needed to do was to always stay watchful. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. Satan is searching for the cracks in our faith to creep his way into our lives. Satan wants to find a way to distract us. Satan tries to create stumbling blocks in our lives to try and make us feel distant from God. This is why it is important that we connect with others who are going through all the same things we are experiencing in life. I can’t stress how important it is to find other Christians to talk with. Opening up about the things we are going through is so helpful.

 The fifth thing I knew I had to do was to stay humble. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” Matthew 23:11-12 says, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Every success that I have had in my life was a blessing from God. I give God all of the credit for everything that has been accomplished in my life. No one loves you more than God. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ to take the punishment for the sins we have committed. This is my biggest prayer in life. I pray for the people who do not have that relationship with Jesus will open their eyes and see the truth. Even in the faith-based industry, there are those who will try and deceive you. They are seeking to take advantage of your dreams of working in film. Those are usually the ones who tell you that they can do this for you. They say pay me this amount of money and I will make you a star. They boast of their accomplishments. God gets all the credit. He allows me to do something that I love doing.

 The sixth thing that I needed to do was to stay grateful. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this, not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast.” Everything that has been accomplished in my life I am grateful for. God has provided for me and my family. When going through any difficult time in your life, turn to God. God wants the best for you. Be grateful for everything He does for you. When it comes down to it, He will always be there for you.

 The seventh thing that I needed to do was to be a servant. John 12:26 says, “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him. Make sure you have a servant’s heart. Don’t do things that only serve your own purpose. When you are serving people in God’s name, not only will the people around you get a blessing, but you will receive a blessing. Connect with those around you. There are so many ways you can serve the Lord.

 Everything that has happened in my career is because God has blessed me. When the people who told me not to go into the faith-based industry because it won’t make me successful. They are underestimating what God can do. God led me to two of the best mentors I can have for my career. They are very successful in this industry. Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman are two humble warriors fighting the battle to save lives for the Lord. They are amazing filmmakers and have poured so much into my life. These men have become like brothers to me. God is allowing me to work in this industry and soon everyone will get to see the work He has done through me. I believe God is doing something amazing for this industry. We see the movies that are being made and how God is using these movies to change lives. There is not one thing anyone can do to hold God back from doing the things that need to be done. If you want to know what you can do to be a success in this industry, well the answer is simple. Trust God in all aspects of your life. Let Him work in your life. Don’t let anyone get in the way of accomplishing His goals in your life. God has been doing things in my career that some may seem impossible. If you think something is impossible for you to do. Stop underestimating what God can do for you. Matthew 19:26 says, “But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”