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| Photo courtesy of mybizarrefamily.com |
"I’m praying for the Christian blogging community today. I think we’re in trouble.
Not long ago, I got a text message from a blogging friend. I love this woman of God. She’s awesome. Raising her kids. Making dinner, doing laundry, romancing her husband when she can—and trying to manage a huge blog and social media presence in the midst of it all. Like me, she started blogging some years ago because she wanted to encourage moms by sharing her journey. She liked to write. She had never heard of SEO or “monetizing” when she opened her little blog. She was just looking for a place to relax and share her thoughts before she forgot them....
I’ve observed something troubling in the past few years of getting to know the Christian blogging community a little better. I believe we’re going through something we don’t like to talk about. We’re treading on thin spiritual ice. I can hear it breaking from different spaces in the ocean of bloggers currently writing about such spiritually charged things as marriage, abortion, motherhood, homosexuality and education.
We’re in a battle—but I am seeing us woefully unprepared to fight."
Hmmm...I was immediately drawn in because the reasons Heidi's friend started her blog were basically identical to my own...I continued to read...
"Did we think for a moment that writing about light in the darkness was not going to catch the eye of our enemy? I can almost hear him in a mocking, evil voice: ”Oh yeah? You want to play? Let’s go.” Bam. It’s on.
More often than not, the darts from the enemy are not like the scud missiles that take out families and end marriages—at least not at first. At first, we just step excitedly onto the social media treadmill—and then one day, we realize the truth: we’re addicted to the treadmill. We learn that if we stop posting, if we lived our life “for real” and quit Instagramming every precious moment, our stats will drop. Another voice will take the place we held for a brief moment.
It’s not what you want to hear, I know. But SEO doesn’t care if your family gets dinner or not. Pinterest isn’t gonna read a book to your kids. Your blog subscribers will quit reading if you quit writing… so I need to ask: WHY ARE WE WRITING?
My thoughts go back to my friend. While things looked great online, in real life, she was struggling to manage it all. The pressure was unbearable. Her life was unraveling. Her marriage was in trouble. Big trouble.
I guess I wouldn’t be so worried except that this was at least the fourth such call or private message I’ve received about this in the past year. I am beginning to see that the devil really IS “in the details.” All these little distractions are adding up to big distractions. We’re in trouble."
Please understand: I’m not suggesting that you quit blogging. I’m not saying social media is evil. I just want to remind you that this.is.war. If you’re writing for numbers, quit. If your marriage is in trouble, step away. If your blog or social media is getting more of your “face time” than your family is—consider this a warning from a friend.
If you’re still with me, then let’s strategize a little. If this is war, and you want to be in it, gird up.
- Be in the Word of God. We can’t be strong in the Lord if we don’t know His Word.
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
- Be honest. Check your motivation. Is your purpose God’s purpose? If you’re doing His work by His power, your marriage and family will thrive. God will not guide you where you cannot stand in His strength.
“For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.” I Thessalonians 2:4
- Trust God. Sounds simple, I know—but at the end of the day, we either trust Him or we don’t, and we show that trust by living out obedience to Him. Worried about your SEO? Trust God. If you’re writing while your family is suffering, you’re not trusting God. Your blog will still be there after you love on your kids and husband. And if it’s not? Maybe God is saying “not now.”
That’s the part that’s the hardest thing to say. Maybe God is saying, “Not now.” If He is saying now, gird up. Put on the full armor of God and write like the warrior that God says you are.
Too many battles are being “won” in the blogosphere while the war at home is being lost. Don’t win the battle and lose the war, precious friend.
It’s not worth it."
So, I am pretty sure I just plagiarized Heidi's post, but you can check it out in it's entirely here. It is just so good and so pointed. So, there I am, friend. Thinking through my "why." Treading carefully and prayerfully forward.
And I kid you not, it is 6:36 am right now and my 5-year-old son just found me in our downstairs office/homeschool room. He states, "Mama...are you doing something you NEED to be doing?"
"Why do you ask?" I reply.
"Because if you do not NEED to be doing what you are doing, would you play a game with me?"
"Why yes, Turbo, I will."
And so it goes. I am off to play Life and pack my hubby's lunch and send him out with a kiss. These precious moments last for but a moment. Signing out for the day--peace out and word to your mother.
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