Learning to Write Again

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.