So, it’s June already. Can you believe we’re halfway through the year? Crazy I know. This year has been a really interesting one for me. In case you haven’t guessed from an earlier post, Alycia and I are pregnant. Well, she’s pregnant but I’m in full support of the idea!

Also, it’s been roughly 6 months since taking up the challenge from a mentor of mine to start up a blog. Surprisingly, it’s actually going pretty well. By the way, thanks for your readership.

Seeing as it was a new thing in my life, sooner or later there was going to be a blog about blogging. Well, here it is.

Why? Because maybe you should too. I’ve found it a great way to reinforce what God’s been saying to me and track his faithfulness to me. If you take up this challenge though, can I just ask you to apply the 2 big rules learnt in the short time so far I’ve been doing it.

1. Never go out to tear down, only ever seek to build up.

Maybe it’s just me but I am hearing the following mantra everywhere at the moment: ‘everyone’s entitled to their own opinion‘. Really? What if you’re wrong? But moreover, what if you’re objectively right but your language or your motivations are totally warped?

Even if or when we’re right, if it’s not said in love we’re nothing but a resounding symbol or clanging gong. (1 Corinthians 13…. or of course, the reading at the last wedding you went to) Basically, God looks at the heart.

Does this mean that you can never disagree or call something into question? Of course not. But it does mean that anytime you do it, you have to be seeking the wellbeing of those who are listening to you (and disagreeing with) and at the very least, be ready to supply an alternate idea or view to make things better. It’s easy to forget that last bit.

I took the 4th post I ever wrote  down after 72 hrs because from the moment I posted it, it never felt right. (It was espousing my views on music in churches as if there’s not already enough of those articles!) Don’t get me wrong, it was great fun to write, we all love to rant, indulging the flesh. But I just knew in my soul that it wasn’t right. It was all confrontation with zero encouragement. I was on a hobby horse riding the ‘Melbourne Cup’ and I didn’t care who I ran over.

Why did I do this?

I wanted to sound clever.

Have you noticed that disagreeing and criticizing everything is one of the best ways to sound clever? (I’m sure I’m not the only one to have noticed this but there you go, the secret’s out.) Here’s the ironic thing though, as clever as it sounds, it takes way, way more brains to contribute something new than criticize and tear something down. Perhaps this is why when I think of the smartest people I have ever met, they are the most sincere in their encouragement of growth and the most gentle in thier rebukes.

It sounds clever to tear stuff down, pick the hole in everyone’s ideas but it’s smarter to devote yourself to building up. Why?

Because one day, we will be judged by our words.

Speaking of words:

2. The sole task of a Christian blog is ultimately to elevate God’s Word(s) over and above our own.

What we’re trying to do here is ultimately point people to the solution for and to life. The solution is of course the reality of God revealed through Jesus expressed in the Scriptures illuminated by the Spirit.

If I had paid attention to this goal right from the start I wouldn’t have fallen into negativity. But it really is so important because once I/we make it all about our own opinions without any consideration to the biblical narrative in that moment we become false teachers.

The benefit’s to making this commitment are almost endless but here’s a few.

• Psalm 1 makes pretty clear that when you elevate the Word of God above everything else you can navigate every season with hope. Hope is a product of wisdom because it is completely impossible to have hope if you think you know everything. That’s why the more ‘enlightened’ societies get, the more they fall apart. Their so-called knowledge kills the soul as the mind cannot any longer receive a vision of the new. But a commitment to the Word of God keeps the mind open to new insights and fresh ideas. A blog is a great way to reinforcing the habit of elevating the Word above your own opinions and preferences in your own life. It’s a great way to train yourself to be like that tree in Psalm 1 and think on the Scriptures for a serious amount of time

 

• When someone does have a crack at you (sooner or later, they will) you’re that much more stable and less likely to take it personally when you know in your heart that you’re merely conveying an insight that arose not out of your own thinking but out of your reliance upon God’s provision..

 

• Lastly, (and this has been the biggest one for me) it has been such a thrill to see God encourage and strengthen others through the things he has revealed to me. When God does something new and amazing through his Word, let’s not hide our excitement nor fail to give him the credit in the public sphere. As Allan Demond said; Own it! Grow it!

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So, I’d say go for it start sharing what God is sharing with you. Simply always seek to build his people up and elevate the Word above your own thoughts and opinions giving it the final say.

Bless ya:)