How to Embrace Your Creative Calling: Lessons from Christian Author Jessica Manges
Have you ever wondered whether the thing you love to create could actually be part of your calling?
Maybe you write. Maybe you paint, sing, design, teach, speak, make videos, or tell stories. You know God gave you the ability but you’re still trying to figure out what you’re supposed to do with it.
Sometimes we expect calling to arrive with a flashing neon sign from heaven.
More often, God seems to reveal it one faithful step at a time.
That’s something Christian fiction author Jessica Manges understands well.
In this week’s episode of Rybickulous Faith, Jessica and I talked about her journey into Christian fiction, the doors God closed and opened along the way, and why she believes storytelling can be more than entertainment, it can become a way to plant seeds of the Gospel.
And her story raises a question worth asking:
What if your creativity isn't separate from your ministry? What if it’s one of the ways God has equipped you to serve?
When Closed Doors Redirect Your Calling
Jessica didn't always know exactly what her calling would look like.
During our conversation, she described a season when doors seemed to close until, eventually, something began to change:
“One day the last door shut, and other doors just started opening, one after another after another.”
I think many of us can relate to the frustration that comes before that moment.
We pray for God to show us where to go while simultaneously asking Him to reopen the door He just closed.
But a closed door isn't necessarily the end of your calling. Sometimes it's part of the redirection.
Jessica eventually recognized writing as more than something she enjoyed doing. It could become a way of honoring God and reaching people.
That doesn't mean every Christian who enjoys creating is automatically called to turn that creativity into a career or ministry.
But it does mean our gifts are worth bringing before God and asking:
“How do You want me to use this?”
Can Fiction Really Share the Gospel?
This became one of my favorite questions from our conversation.
We often think about evangelism in very specific ways: preaching, teaching, witnessing, handing someone a Bible, inviting them to church.
But what about telling a story?
Jessica believes fiction can create opportunities for people to encounter biblical truth in a way that feels approachable.
As she explained:
“When you're reading a book, there's no judgment from the characters, there's no preconceived notion from what you're going to get out of it.”
A reader can encounter questions about faith, redemption, forgiveness, obedience, good and evil through the experiences of fictional characters.
And storytelling certainly isn't foreign to Scripture.
Jesus Himself used stories.
His parables took spiritual truths and placed them inside situations people could understand: seeds, fields, families, money, workers, weddings, sheep.
The story wasn't the destination.
The truth inside the story was.
For Christian creatives, that's an important distinction.
Our work doesn't have to become a sermon disguised as entertainment. Instead, we can create honestly and intentionally while allowing biblical truth to shape the stories we're telling.
Relatable Characters Matter
Jessica also talked about the importance of creating characters who aren't perfect.
That's especially important in Christian storytelling.
If every Christian character has everything figured out, never struggles, never doubts, and always makes the right decision, readers may have a difficult time seeing themselves in the story.
Real people are messy.
Faith can be messy.
Growth is definitely messy.
Relatable characters allow readers to wrestle with questions alongside them.
Through Jessica's books, including Rebellion of the Watchers and Scott Killian and the Letter, she explores themes including faith, redemption, God's promises, and our relationship with Him while still telling an imaginative story.
The biblical message doesn't require perfect fictional people.
After all, Scripture itself is filled with imperfect real ones whom God chose to use.
Don't Be Afraid to Grow
Another part of Jessica's journey that stood out to me was her willingness to acknowledge how much her writing has changed.
Creative calling doesn't mean instant mastery.
You can be called to something and still need practice.
You can have a God-given gift and still need an editor.
You can write something you're incredibly proud of today and look at it five years later and think, Oh goodness. I would definitely change that.
That's growth.
Jessica talked about learning through experience and listening to feedback from readers and beta readers. That willingness to learn matters because stewardship isn't simply using what God gave us.
It's also being willing to develop it.
If you're a writer, learn to write better.
If you're a speaker, learn to communicate better.
If you're a musician, practice.
If you're building something you've never built before, ask for help.
Calling doesn't eliminate learning.
Stay Connected to the One Who Called You
Creative work can become consuming.
Deadlines. Numbers. Sales. Reviews. Algorithms. Publishing. Marketing.
Suddenly, something that began with God can become entirely focused on performance.
That's why Jessica emphasized prayer and staying spiritually grounded throughout her writing journey.
Before we're authors, podcasters, business owners, speakers, artists, or content creators, we're followers of Christ.
Our creativity shouldn't replace our relationship with God.
It should flow from it.
“Whatever you do, do it from the heart, as something done for the Lord and not for people.” — Colossians 3:23
Sometimes we need to remember Who we're creating for before worrying about who is watching.
Your Story Doesn't Have to Reach Thousands to Matter
Perhaps the most important takeaway from my conversation with Jessica was beautifully simple:
There is no story too small.
Our culture teaches us to measure impact with numbers.
Views.
Followers.
Downloads.
Book sales.
Likes.
But Kingdom impact doesn't always come with analytics.
If something you create encourages one struggling person, plants one seed, starts one conversation about Jesus, or helps one person understand that God hasn't abandoned them—was it worth creating?
Absolutely.
We don't always get to know what God does with the seeds we plant.
Our responsibility is faithfulness.
His responsibility is the harvest.
Your Creativity Can Have a Purpose
Maybe you're still figuring out what God wants you to do with your gifts.
That's okay.
You don't have to see the entire road before taking the next faithful step.
Write the page.
Record the episode.
Paint the picture.
Practice the song.
Tell the story.
Ask God what He wants to do with what He's already placed in your hands.
Jessica's journey reminds us that creativity and faith don't have to occupy separate parts of our lives. When surrendered to God, creativity can become another avenue through which we encourage people, communicate truth, plant seeds, and ultimately point back to Him.
And sometimes that's where calling begins—not with knowing exactly where you're going, but simply being willing to say:
“God, You gave me this. Show me how to use it.”
Watch This Week's Rybickulous Faith
🎙️ Can Fiction Share the Gospel? How God Uses Storytelling to Reach People | Jessica Manges
Jessica joins me to talk about her calling to Christian fiction, using storytelling for evangelism, weaving biblical truth into creative work, trusting God's timing, and why no story is too small for Him to use.
📅 Airs Monday, October 5, 2026 at 6:00 AM EST
Watch or listen on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and wherever you follow Rybickulous Faith.
Until next time—
Keep sharing your Rybickulous Faith.
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