Some Lessons I’ve Learned from Blogging…That Aren’t About Blogging
I love this site, and I greatly enjoy keeping up the blog. It takes some work, and there are certainly some frustrations involved, but it is a labor of love. Every so often, I see articles on blogs that talk about lessons learned about blogging. I’m sure I could write one of those, but most of you who read this couldn’t care any less about the technical side of things. Most of our readers do not have their own blog, so you don’t really care about lessons for bloggers.
However, in the years we have had this site, I have learned…or been reminded of…several things that have nothing to do with blogging. Here are seven.
1. People Need Encouragement. Nearly any time I post something that provides encouragement, our number of comments goes up. Or, better said, we actually have comments 🙂 . But it is interesting how often we post something else and people are willing to admit their hurts, fears, and frustrations in the comments. We live in a difficult world, and people need to be built up. [NOTE: As proof of that, our most read post ever deals with alcohol and what it causes. Almost 1000 people have viewed the article and it has over 250 “likes” on Facebook. If you never read it, here’s the link.]
2. People Want to Know YOU. In our digital age, there is a real lack of personal connection. Some of that can be found in social media and through sites like this, but people still want to really connect. Personal posts attract a lot of attention because people want to know other people. Sounds like the basics of an evangelism class!
3. God’s People are Truly Helpful. I run this site by myself. Due to my lack of technological knowledge, I have made plenty of mistakes, but I have always found Christians willing to help me get the site fixed, up, and running again. Even when the entire site went down last week, a couple of Christians stepped in and helped me get it back up. What is true in the digital world is doubly true in our everyday lives. God’s people are remarkable.
4. Numbers Aren’t Everything. I look at our site’s statistics all the time. Rss feed numbers (which, by the way, went “kaput” after last week’s site crash), site hits, Facebook “likes,”…the list goes on and on. Sometimes I am shocked by what articles draw solid numbers. But, that’s just the point. It’s not about the numbers. It’s about touching people and teaching them. Maybe I need to teach myself that lesson on Sundays, too!
5. People are Hungry to Learn. I know our site isn’t exactly “scholarly,” but we are told that we live in an era when people just want to be dumbed down. That just is not true. People may go to different sources than they used to, but there are still plenty of people who read, hear, and watch things that teach them.
6. Consistency Pays Off. Not necessarily in money (trust me on that one!), but in readership, connections, and interaction. Our blog is about six years old now, and I am totally amazed that we have any “loyal readers,” and we have quite a few. That didn’t happen on day one. It didn’t happen in year one. But it has reminded me to look at the big picture in many areas of life, and not just the quick-hit results.
7. God Will Give You a Way to Use Your Talents. I enjoy writing. While I am not the best writer in the world, I do think I have a talent for writing in this format (short, quick, informative). Who would have ever thought that we’d live in a world where a talent like that could be used? But we do, and I believe that, with God’s help, you can use your talents if you will seek His ways. Whether it’s a talent for teaching your children in your home, leading singing, visiting those who are hurting, writing books, or cooking for others, God will open doors for you if you will let Him.
Thanks for reading our blog, and helping me learn these, and other, valuable lessons!
