A couple of years ago, I wrote a pretty
controversial post. It received a bit of a backlash (as much a
backlash as you can get for a part-time blogger who isn't very well
known), and suddenly, I lost my passion to write. At first, I
thought it was just the fact that I didn't have time. My wife and I
just had our first child, I was getting more responsibility in my
role with DiscipleMakers, and
writing became the first thing that went. I wrote a bit more
throughout the year of 2014, but it was sporadic and I lacked a
desire to do so. It became a duty, a chore, nothing more than
another job to do because, hey, I had 170 followers or so.
Then I started
writing, but refusing to post any content. It never “felt”
right. The layout of my blog is dated and lacks professionality. I
didn't like the topic. I was fearful of the response. That was when
it hit me why I refused to write. I was fearful. I became a writer
for man's approval, rather than for an audience of one. And as soon
as there was disapproval, I withered away.
Let me be clear,
there's wisdom in what and how to post. Some folks post content just
to stir the pot (Christian Bloggers included), and others specialize
in blogging about controversial things. Some websites are meant to
equip the majority of the body of Christ as culture turns, and some
are meant to call out the hypocrisy of the church. And some had a
vision for where they were going, only to come back to square one
(me).
I'm in process.
I'm not sure what I want to write about. I don't know if I want to
keep just with the theme of escapism. What I do know is that I want
to write for the Glory of God. I want to process through life with a
Gospel-centered lens. And I want to engage with people who both
agree and disagree, without backing down from the beauty and truth of the
scriptures, but also seeking to understand with compassion and grace.
In all of this, I'm
learning to write again. I'm learning to write for a specific
audience. The audience isn't you. It's not just for me, either.
I'm learning to write for an audience of One. To God be the glory
and honor forever.
