Author Lakeisha Johnson Interview
In our culture today, faith has always been important. As you know, we are a brand that is " information for the culture. Being a Christian isn't just saying I am a Christian; it's more than just saying I believe in God. A Christian is defined by their actions and by serving God's purpose, no matter their race or socioeconomic background. God loves his children, and only he can judge us. With that being said, I'd like to introduce our guest; she's a well-renowned best-selling author & pastor, Lakisha Johnson. Lakisha has written many best-selling Christian novels, is a family woman, and, most importantly, serves God's message through her ministry. Today I sat down with Lakisha to ask her about her mission, message, and a verse that can inspire the congregation.
1. Your journey has taken you from ministry to authorship. What experiences, challenges, and moments of faith shaped the person and leader you are today?
Lakisha- I’ve always been open about the challenges I faced early in my journey, particularly the years when I was running from God’s call on my life. During those seasons, I experienced a broken marriage, debt, doubt, fear, and uncertainty about who I was in God. At the time, I saw those experiences as setbacks. Looking back, I realize they were shaping me into the person God needed me to become. I honestly don’t believe I could be the woman, leader, or writer I am today without having endured those things. They gave me a deeper understanding of grace, restoration, forgiveness, and the complicated realities of being human while trying to follow God. That’s also why I write the stories I write. I’m a strong, unapologetic Black woman, and I’m not afraid to tell stories that don’t always fit neatly into what people consider “clean Christian fiction.” I write for the broken, the unfaithful, the lost, and the wounded. I write for the person who believes God is angry with them and needs to discover that He isn’t. I write for the person still deep in sin who needs to know that God still loves them. I write for people whose hands are dirty but need to understand that God is still willing to hold them. My experiences taught me that God doesn’t waste pain, tears, or my afflictions. He took the very things I thought disqualified me and used them to push me into the very thing He had destined for my life. I learned that the darkness wasn’t to kill me. It was to develop, in me, what God had need of through me. Everything I’ve endured has helped shape how I lead, how I serve, and how I tell stories. It gave me my voice and courage. And ultimately, it has given me a platform to remind people that their brokenness does not put them beyond the reach of God. If anything, it puts them in the right place to be used.
2. Through your ministry and writing, what change are you hoping to create in people and in the community?
Lakisha- A changed heart toward God.
Through my ministry and writing, I hope people learn to see God beyond the picture their circumstances, disappointments, and struggles have painted of Him. I want to preach and write the Word of God in a way that causes people to believe in God, and also to believe in themselves again. I want someone to read one of my “fiction” stories or hear a sermon and have something in their heart pricked enough to make them say, “Maybe I should try God again.” If my writing or preaching can make someone reconsider giving up on God, themselves, or their future, then I know I’ve done what I was called to do.
I want to see people return to God. Not out of obligation, but because they’ve rediscovered their hunger for Him. My hope is to fill God’s house with people who are genuinely hungry for His presence, His Word, and His purpose for their lives. And if it happens through the pages of a book, then that’s alright with me.
3. What is one sermon or quote you used to encourage the congregation?
Lakisha- Let God be God!
It’s one of my favorite lines, and I’ve even put it on a shirt. Lol.
So often, we try to do, fix, help, or become what only God can. We try to change people. We put our hands on things God never told us to touch. We turn assignments into relationships. We chase what God has told us to let go of. We rush what God is taking time to do, and in our attempt to make things better, we sometimes make them worse.
And then, when our prayers don’t match what we see in the natural and God seems silent, we start losing faith.
But baby, let God be God.
Let Him be who He is. Let Him give you what He promised. Let Him be your healer and deliverer, your promise keeper and way maker, your sustainer when you don’t have the strength to keep going.
Sometimes faith isn’t about doing more. Sometimes faith is knowing when to take your hands off the situation and trust the One who has always been in control.
When we let God be God, we leave room for Him to do everything He promised.
Want to buy one of Lakisha's books? Amazon.com: Lakisha Johnson: books, biography, latest update
Want to learn more about Lakeisha? Lakisha, the Author – It's not just writing, it's ministry
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