Writing On The Fine Line

Quote it! St. Augustine

“God has promised forgiveness to your repentance; but he has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.”

St. Augustine, (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430)





Procrastination. My longtime enemy and the enemy of many writers.

  • To-do lists don’t work for me. I’m not driven by placing tick marks next to a task.
  • Guilt is a poor motivator–unless you’re my mother.
  • Success? This can actually be a de-motivator.

One thing motivates me: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)


What motivates you? How do you use that to your advantage?


Michael Ehret, for Writing on the Fine Line

Michael Ehret, WritingOnTheFineLine
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2 responses to “Quote it! St. Augustine”

  1. Jim Hamlett Avatar
    Jim Hamlett

    Just read those verses this morning in my current devotional journey. They can certainly motivate, though I think of them more as the guideline for how well I should do something, and what the goal should really be.

    I’m not a list person, either. Nor does guilt motivate (but it may make me think about why I’m not motivated). And, as a writer, I don’t know yet what success is.

    With respect to writing, I have to say my greatest motivator is answered prayer. I began this pursuit because of a direct answer to prayer. So when I get discouraged, I ask the Lord to assure me again that I’ve not made a mistake, that I still have his blessing. And invariably, an email will show up, or a letter, or I’ll run into someone out of the blue who’s read Moe. They’ll tell me how much they enjoyed the book and will ask when the sequel is coming out.

    Then I return to writing, glad and reminded that it’s the Lord I serve–and his people.

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  2. writingonthefineline Avatar
    writingonthefineline

    Yeah, answered prayer is a great thing. I’m glad you added that to the list, Jim.

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