Pastor Mike here. Let’s just cut to the chase. I blog. (I video blog, too.) It’s what I do. Just as there are tricks to other trades, so there is to blogging (and especially for the Lord). I’m sharing some here in (watch for the video blog version of this soon)…
(This can go for video blogging, too)
1. Have sin in their life.
You can usually tell. (The Bible calls it: discernment.) It’s that feeling you get that something is wrong, but you can’t quite pinpoint it. Ever had it? It’s evident even in a person’s writing. Holiness is not an option. Remember 1 John 1:9.
2. Speak as somebody else.
Ventriloquists. (I actually spelled it without looking it up.) They control the voice of another. There are some bloggers who ~ you’d think they were the dummy? The fact is if God wanted a second, third or seventy-fifth Rick Warren he could have created them? Develop your own “voice.” (It’s equal to style.) “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” ~Judy Garland
3. Expect perfection.
If I had a dime for every perfect blog I posted, I’d be broke. (Well, maybe I’d have twenty cents. Why is my wife grabbing me by the ear again?) There’s only One person that’s perfect and it’s who you’re writing for. Just accept it. You will start out bad, but get better.
4. Neglect reading.
You need to put gas in the tank from time to time. You can’t possibly run on empty. Read what others are writing. Read books. Read blogs. Don’t forget to read the Bible, too. (That’s three “b’s.” Did you notice?)
5. Hit “Publish” too quickly.
I wrote a post on another blog about the importance of allowing your writing to “simmer.” (Read HERE.) It was the secret to my grandmother’s spaghetti sauce. You’d be surprised how that one last tweak you gain by (quote) “sleeping on it” makes your post the “pezzo di resistenza.” (Now that’s Italian.)
6. Forget to pray.
It’s so easy to start pounding your thoughts out on the keyboard, but that’s just it. They’re just your thoughts without the energizing of the Holy Spirit. Seek Him first (and always). He knows what people (your readers) need to hear. He’s designated your particular blog post for a specific somebody. (Yes, there are “divine appointments” even in cyberspace.)
7. Think that everyone will stop by.
“If you build it, they will come.” Not necessarily. The truth is I didn’t have much traffic for years. (At least for the better part of two.) A blogger blogs for the love of blogging (mostly). A Christian blogger blogs for the love of Christ (always). And to share God’s love with others through writing, that’s why. If you reach a single reader and that reader is encouraged, uplifted (maybe even won to the Lord?), then you’ve done your job. If there’s only one, it’s worth writing for him or her. “Well done, good and faithful servant (/blogger).”
(flickr image by SantiMB)
About Pastor Mike
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I would add an eighth: Worry about offending people.
I don’t. Honest. ;-P
Totally agree and believe these fit for any blog!
Not quite sure what to do about this sin in my life, besides confess it…? 🙂
Great, great post!
Meghan
Amen to all 7! I especially like the let it simmer idea. I almost always sleep on a post before publishing it! It does do wonders (even though no matter how much I tweak and fine tune a post, I can look at it again a month later and re-tweek some more)!
I agree with most of those, except I’m a little ‘iffy’ on the first one. Being a Christian doesn’t mean we are without sin. We aren’t because we are human. However, I think that as Christian bloggers, we should watch how we write things (i.e. I’ve seen someone say they are a Christian blogger yet their posts contain profanities.) I will never claim to not have sin in my life… and I will never post on my blog anything that would lead anyone to believe that.
Would have to agree w/Nickie. We all have sin in our lives. So for me to write a blog w/o sin, then I would never blog = ). I wrote about it in one of my blogs called “Me and Dog the Bounty Hunter”. Interesting other points, though.
Good reminders. Thanks for sharing. Except #1. I think I know what you mean, but are you saying you have no sin in your life? I can’t say that. No one can, right?
As a new found christian, and blogger. I found this post very informative. I decided I’m going to start including my studies and revelations into my articles. Thank you for sharing. Awesome blog you have here.
Great thoughts to consider! Practical and real!
Well, Christ did tell people “Go, and sin no more”
I try to watch out for “lingo” and “Christianese”. The whole world can see what we write (heh, as if I had the hits to prove it). Unless the Weblog is targeted toward mainly Christian readers, I suggest keeping the specialized wording to a minimum. I put evangelistic material in my “general purpose” Weblog, and cut way down on such wording.
Great post, and they’re all something to pay attention to. I believe a Christian blogger should strive to give inspiration and hope as a priority, and it happens in first recognizing the source of all hope and inspiration (Christ) and knowing our place in him.
Thanks for this!
Thank you so much. God bless you for putting this together. I have really learned from these points you have talked about. I must say that I totally agree with all the points you have discussed.
I am not sure I agree on the one about sin.
I mean, we all sin. We may not mean to, we may not know it, it may not be perpetual chosen sin, but we do!
Sometimes our greatest legacy to another believer is to share how we live imperfect lives within the realms of grace.
And sometimes, what we consider ‘sin’ may not be such to another (Romans 14).
I think the key is rather to live authentic, honest, humble lives, always aspiring to bring glory to our God.
I just wanted to say tho’ I am very encouraged by the other points and think I can take much of this away and apply it.
I like that you said bloggers blog for the love of blogging. I had forgotten that for a little while.
Mike, you left out the “p” word. Christian bloggers can be tempted by pride and in doing so they focus on pleasing their audience and becoming addicted to the attention. With technology it’s an easy trap to step into. My blogging life verse is this: He must become greater; I must become less. John 3:30 and I keep this in my heart at all times. Christian blogging is not about me, it’s about the Father we all love.Don’t be addicted to the approval of others of you’ll fall deep into pride. Blog from a pure heart.
Christine @LifeVerse
I agree with the thoughts on sin in our lives that others have already stated. However, almost all of what you write jives perfectly with me and I will attempt to incorporate it into my work. Thanks!
Great Blog, Great comments. Except I don’t think he was saying he did not sin. There is a difference between living in sin and being sin less or sinning. As Christians we repent of or turn from our sins and are forgiven. Living in sin is to continue in your sin. ie. drinking, drugs, immoral acts, the obvious. Thats my opinion anyway.
Yes–I think you’ve hit on what he meant. Of course, I’m not 100% he meant what you explained. So maybe I should say, I agree with your interpretation of what he meant.
Also, the verse he quoted supports this reading/understanding.
This is an excellent post! Thanks for sharing…I stumbled over here because you followed me on Twitter. Appreciate that!
Good stuff! Thanks for being real about Sin in our lives and low traffic woes…
Yip. Great post. Also concur with Cindy’s comment on not worrying about offending people!
I like how you write some posts out in lists. #3 is so true, there is no perfection except for Him. We should still strive. LOL, I like what Cindy added for #8.
Great read, Mike.
I disagree with num 1. ALL HAVE FALLEN SHORT. AS A NEW BELIEVER WE STILL SIN BUT WE REPENT AND TURN TO GOD. THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BELIEVERS AND NON BELIEVERS. WHEN BELIEVERS SIN WHAT NON BELIEVERS DONT DO IS REPENT AND TURN FROM SIN.
These are all important points. There is a huge difference between we all sin and having a sin stew in your life. If there is something going on in your life and you are unrepentant, this would be the time to refrain from posting. Get right with God and reconcile with anyone who has been hurt by your sin. I believe this is the point he was trying to make. All good items to ponder on. I didn’t get a whole lot of traffic until recently when someone who has a larger following posted a link to my research paper. Since then I’ve had a steady trickling of visitors coming to my site. Thank you for your insights.
Again, all of us that are bothered by #1: read the passage: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This presupposes the sin nature, which I’m guessing Pastor Mike presupposes as well, especially given the next verse: “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
What we need is personal integrity; we need honesty and humility in our blog posts.
Amen Kent. We all need to take stuff to heart and prayer before we nitpick at posts like these. We are so used to giving “our opinion” on things instead of saying thank you for the time you took with this. A pharisidical attitude will keep us from grasping this guy’s reason for posting these things. Thanks @aheartforgod for this post. Good word.
Hi ya Thanks for this blog
On the issues accept for the first I am sorry but to say someone can not be successful with any sin in their life in my understanding is not correct.
I might be missing your point…
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Great Post. I am new blogger and I know we must walk with GOD in prayer if our blog post is to bless other. I also agree that we will never be perfect and we should walk in holiness and if we do sin then 1 john 1:9 says to confess our sins and God will clense us. We are not perfect but we serve a perfect God. Amen