by Jeanne Takenaka, @JeanneTakenaka

How many of you have entered a contest hoping you would final, even feeling like your entry was some of your best-ever work?

Yeah, me too.

When some contests finalist lists were announced recently, my heart sank as I read the names, noting the conspicuous absence of mine. I’m not gonna lie. I was disappointed.

I questioned why I was writing. Was I even supposed to be writing anymore? If people didn’t like my story, was there a point to continuing with it?

There’s something about the acknowledgment, the “Congrats!” for contest finals on social media that cater to that affirmation-seeking side of me.

But God . . . He had other plans. And in this case, His plan was for me to not final.

After I read the judges’ comments, I stepped back and evaluated. I let the scores and comments settle in my thoughts. They sifted as I spent time on other activities.

Then I looked at my story again. And though some of the judges’ comments were accurate, others felt…off.

A lightbulb moment pinged: Just because my entry didn’t final doesn’t mean the story isn’t worthy of my time and effort.

Judges read a small portion of our entire story. They often miss the nuances and flavors that emerge as the story progresses beyond the point of the submission. Judges do their best to score accurately, but judging is always subjective.

When it seems they miss the mark, we have a choice. We can become discouraged (and yes, I was for a little while). We can get mad.

Or we can get busy.

This spring, God’s shown me a contest is just that: a contest.

It’s not a contract or a guarantee of one. Many authors have never won a contest but are amazing writers and have published books.

And there are those who have won many contests and are still waiting to sign on that dream-making little line.

While contests help get our words in front of others and offer us feedback, they aren’t an end result.

Most of us don’t write solely to win contests. And if you do, I’d like to chat with you.

God has given us our stories to write. He didn’t give it to us so we could win contests and gain affirmation. This gift of words is ours to use as we will—to glorify ourselves or to glorify Him.

Contests are great, but they’re limited. A win may garner an agent’s interest, but an editor is more concerned with the quality of the overall story.

Winning contests is an accomplishment. We should view it as a stepping stone on our journey, not as the ultimate symbol of “arriving.”

If our goal is to be published (and to stay published), our focus must be to write the best story we can and then leave the results to God. He knows the plans He has for us and for our stories.

Contests are fun. But contracts are more significant.

Award-winning aspiring novelist, Jeanne Takenaka, writes contemporary inspirational fiction that tackles real-life issues with a heart to draw women closer to God and those around them. She lives near the mountains in Colorado with her amazing husband and two exuberant boy-men. She loves being God’s girl—always learning about His grace, hanging out with friends and enjoying a great cup of coffee. When she’s not writing you can find her with a camera in her hand, looking for #alittlebitofpretty in her days. You can connect with her on her blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter.