What is the point of writing if no one reads it?

Why do we write? Authors put hours and weeks and months into a project. They pound their head against walls, or sometimes against keyboards to see if any of the gibberish that results has merit.

And for what?

A few dollars, perhaps? A glowing review? Someone somewhere kinda knowing their name?

What is the actual point of all of this work and what makes it worthwhile?

If no one ever read your writing, would it still be worth writing?

Each author has their own priorities. Some want to make a living. Perhaps some want fame. Or to touch the lives of others.

It doesn’t matter what we want. No matter how much money, how many reviews, how many speaking engagements or testimonials we get, it’s never going to be enough. Something is always going to be missing that outside sources can never fill.

No matter our goals in writing, we ought to base our foundation on something deeper. Something worth the effort no matter the result.

The reason nothing can fully satisfy us is because we were created for something grander than just this world. Our spirits are built for eternity and mere, passing, mortal successes can never fill a spot meant for something that will never end.

Like life, writing is hard. Also like life, writing has its moments of joy. But if we focus merely on what it will bring us from the outside world, then nothing will ever be enough.

This doesn’t make writing worthless in any sense of the word. Rather it gives us opportunity.

Writing gives us a taste of eternity. We get to create. To explore and build something that never existed. To pour a little of that longing inside us onto the page and search the depths of hope, fear, and love.

The time we put into our work is worth it because the point of our writing is more than ourselves. We are pointing to a Creator who can satisfy us. We are looking to something beyond this world. We are learning truth about who we are, both through what we write and through the effort of writing. Not only that, we get to learn more about the world, the people, and the emotions surrounding us.

Whether we write, or paint, or manage a bunch of kids at a fast-food restaurant, our final goal must be beyond what we can get from the world around us, because the world will always let us down.

The foundational reasons for why we do what we do should come from Who God is and who we are in relation to Him. The goal is not simply writing. Or money. Or people. The goal is a matter of what we are pointing to with our lives and our work.

And what we are pointing to remains the same. Always. Even if no one recognizes it in this world. And if no one were to read your writing.