I often get asked, “why do you blog?” I think this is a fair question, even if there is an underlying assumption that it’s a waste of time. While I’m addressing this to pastors, I think it applies to all of us.
My time is more limited today than ever before. Between my personal goals of being in a growing relationship with Christ, being a good father and husband, and leading a fast growing church I have to be pretty selective on what activities I engage in and what activities I pass up. Here are five reasons I choose to invest a portion of my time in blogging.
1) We can change the world. The Compassion Uganda bloggers proved this earlier this year when they used their blog voices to bring attention and hope to Uganda. Thousands of people around the world followed their eight day journey in real-time and over 400 children were sponsored and rescued from poverty. I’m praying we see more and more influential bloggers using their platform and influence to bring hope to the hopeless.
2) We can encourage other believers. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us to “encourage one another daily”. I’m always looking for ways to use WithoutWax to bring a smile to someone’s face and at the very least just take their mind off of whatever they might be dealing with. Here’s a great email I got last week from a reader.
Pete,
Its good reading your blog. I’m deployed right now onboard a US Navy warship and sometimes it is challenging to get daily inspiration. You being a pastor and reading your blog is like going to church sometimes. No praise music or long sermon, sometimes just one sentence, one comment is enough. So thanks and keep it up.
Very Respectfully,
Adam Dye-USS BULKELEY
Blog: www.adamintheocean.wordpress.com (Why don’t you drop in and encourage him)
3) We can create community. I’m tired of being a talking head. I’m not looking for one more environment where I communicate in a one-way fashion. Blogs allow us to turn our sermons into conversations allowing people to interact, question, discuss and debate. This week I will cross over the 3,000 comment marker. I love this stat more than any other stat on my blog. It tells me people are not just reading, but interacting and creating community with one another.
4) We can establish relational influence. People no longer want to follow you or me just because we have pastor in front of our name. As a matter of fact, this automatically puts us at a disadvantage. They want to know if we’re authentic. I am learning that influence is directly related to relationship. In other words no relationship, no influence.
My friend, Randy Elrod writes about the death of the alpha leader. He says, “Alpha leaders value control, servant leaders value collaboration. Alpha leaders value individualism, servant leaders value community. Alpha leaders value affluence, servant leaders value influence.” Go HERE to read the entire post.
5) We can show the world the origin of our hope. Matthew 5:14 says, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden” (and neither can a blog). This is an email I recently received that absolutely blew me away. Since receiving it I have had some awesome conversations with this lady. God is up to some amazing things.
Pete,
I have read your blog for the past two days. Inside and out. Up and down. I have devoured and cried. Laughed and clicked out of it to get away and yet I kept going back. Who is your Jesus? Loaded question. Is there an easy answer? Suggestions?
So, why do you blog? I’m dieing to know!
