“All scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness…” 2
Timothy 3:16
I try not to
start off a lot of my blogs about my personal experience writing with scripture
because it turns people away before they get started. This is not a complaint;
I do the same when someone turns on a television to watch Chicago Fire.
But I chose this
one because it jumped into my thoughts as soon as I typed the title of the
blog. That’s because it illustrates for me the point I hope to make between
advice and instruction. I’m going to use writing as my setting, but the
principle applies to life in general.
I want to start
with advice which can be properly defined as a recommendation or information
given. Writers get all kinds of advice, none more heartfelt than: “You should
stop this nonsense now.”
Advice properly
given is a suggestion. It goes something like: “You should write a story about
a mermaid in a castle by the sea who lures men to their deaths on the
rocks.” When I hear advice like that, I think about it, weigh the possibilities
against my abilities and inclination, and see if a story appears out of the
brain fog.
I do the latter
because you see, the advice is not a story—it is a setting, not a plot. I must
be able to take the suggestion—the advice—and do something that pleases me with
it. There is no time limit on the process. In fact, the advisor telling me to
sit down and get started is the worst possible thing to do.
I have some
unoriginal but worthy writing advice. Write what you know. Find your own voice.
Find an editor who will be tough on you. Don’t break the rules until you are
well versed in the rules. Write every day. Read a lot. Not everyone is going to
like what you write.
Does anyone feel
compelled to do these things simply because the are good advice? Not likely,
especially at first. However, they may grow on you as you grow.
Now, Paul’s
admonition to Timothy is not like that. It is a command based on the authority
of scripture by his mentor/teacher. It is in itself an instruction—a direction
calling for compliance.
You might be
familiar with this kind of writing from school. “Write me a 500-word essay on
what you did last summer.” You have some wiggle room to stretch the truth and
make it fun, but you darn well better write it! Or else! And, of course, it came
with all kinds of rules outlining how and when the instructor wanted it done.
Writing
instruction covers the rules I spoke of a moment ago, things like grammar,
punctuation, sentence structure, paragraph structure, and the king of them all
submission guidelines. I promise if you break the rules, especially that last
one, your work is bound for the trash.
Publishers
besides looking for good writing want to know if you can follow their
instructions. They want it their way or no way. And if you sell your writing to
them, the work becomes theirs, they are the final authority.
As a nurse, I
dispensed both advice and instruction on a regular basis. If I advised somebody
to wear a mask and they chose not to, I was not offended by their decision even
if they turned up sicker the next day. The mask was just a suggestion.
If I instructed
someone to take one pill every four hours and they took eight over two hours
and came back with an overdose That bothered the hell out of me because I
trusted them to follow instructions—they did not comply with the rules.
Either way, I took the best care of them I
possibly could.
That’s not the
perfect example but what I’m getting at is to be aware of whether you are
advising or instructing. I don’t think I am unique in the fact that I take
advice must better than instruction. Jesus might command, “If you love me, keep
my commandments,” and have his hearers obey. People have a much harder time
pulling it off with others.
Maranatha
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