5 Things You Need To Know About Christian Blogging
Hi guys, so this is the last post of the year. I am grateful for each and every one of you and I really do pray for you.“
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” {Ephesians 3:16-19}
For this post, I did a little reflecting on some lessons I have learned along the way in blogging. If you or someone you know wants to get into Christian blogging, here are a few thoughts you may consider.
Christian blogging can be a great way to teach, inspire, correct and transform. Unfortunately, I have read one too many blogs that bring judgement and accusations against individuals and the body of Christ in general. One of the greatest lessons I have learned this year is how precious and loved the body of believers is to Christ. He loves us both personally and communally.
When we slander another individual or denomination, we are literally slandering ourselves. If we undermine the work of another church, we have undermined our own work. But if we pray for and exhort and support another part of the body of Christ, we are essentially building up our own.
Is there a place for correction and rebuke? Certainly, and the bible speaks about its importance {2nd Timothy 4:2-3}. But what does godly correction look like? This kind of correction causes us to look to Jesus Christ. It causes even the one correcting to view their own life in the light of the cross and see themselves as redeemed, not perfect, having a sinful nature yet constantly being sanctified. When we look at ourselves through this lens we are basically saying, “Lord Jesus, help me to be the kind of believer who will not look on as my fellow brother is messing up, yet will approach their failings from a humble position of love and redemption, knowing that I too struggle with sin.”
So, before you write that angry and vindictive blog, ask yourself, “Is this honoring the body of Christ?” “How is this blog bringing people closer to God?”
Ultimately, it is better to shelve a blog than to destroy the faith of others. Looking at scripture and my own life journey, I have come to appreciate the fact that God is a God of process, seasons and timings. Between the time God gives you a dream and the time it takes to realize that dream it will require patience. Time is important as it clarifies vision and ideally strengthens character. After waiting on a promise for so long, there tends to be a mellow approach to life and people.
Like building any other brand, blogging requires your time and resources. It is involving and demands that you interrogate life and your topic thoroughly before publishing so as to maintain credibility.
There are days when traffic on your site will be massive, and there are down days- when you will get only a couple of reads. For those who put extra time into their writing this can be very discouraging. The need for your work to be affirmed and validated can override the simple fact that God has called you to a ministry of one. Cliché as it may sound, could it be that God has called you, for now, to reach out to just one person who is in desperate need to hear that their Heavenly Father loves them?
As you continue to grow, God will entrust you with more readers. With time, your writing will improve too. So don’t be discouraged if only a few people read…keep doing what God has called you to.
Prayer has been the backbone of my blog this year. As I write and publish each blog, I pray for those who will read the material. I ask God to bring healing and deliverance, to come through for those who will come across the blog. I do not know who will read the posts, but God does. I do not know where they are, but God does.
When I pray I am allowing God to work through my blog. Only He can bring salvation to my readers. There have been many times this year that God has used my seemingly weak or not well thought out posts to inspire many. On the other hand, there are times I have written what I thought to be a powerful post that brought little engagement, leading me to believe that when I am weak, then He is strong.
Being consistent does not imply writing till you drop. It is important to carve time out to rest. Most importantly, do not neglect your significant relationships. Good success is one that does not pull you away from your loved ones. Yes, be consistent, but take time out to rest and have fun.
Every blogger has “writing blind spots”. And it’s ok. Endeavor to grow your writing by taking professional courses if need be. Read, read, read. The more you research, the better your work becomes. Subscribe to other blogs of like interest and see what you can borrow as well.
