The Blogging Blaze: Beneficial?
Phil Johnson, director of Grace to You, calls his blog "Pyromaniac." Under the title of his blog he quotes Jeremiah 23:29, which says, "'Is not my word like a fire?' says the Lord." The word of the Lord is indeed a fire that burns brighter than any other, but lately I have also been seeing the effects of the blogging blaze.
As my family, my friends, and I have become swallowed in this proverbial sea of blogging, I have started to have some questions about blogging. I asked myself, "Are all these hours of composing, reading, commenting, and tinkering with our templates really worth the time?" I was musing on this earlier in the week as I was cleaning out the gutter in the back of our house, and the only answer I could come up with was a resounding, "Yes!"
"Why is blogging beneficial?" you might wisely ask. Well, I will give you just a few reasons. First, blogging helps you think. During a scholarship interview at The Master's College this February, Professor Jim Owen and I discussed the importance of education, particularly the skills of reading and writing. We thought these two skills were so important because they help us to think at a deeper level. I believe this is especially true of writing. Before we write something coherent, we must first understand it in our own minds. Whatever you write about, whether it be sports, politics, music, or the Bible, you will find yourself having to think more about it as you put your thoughts down on paper, or the keyboard, if you will. The fact that writing and blogging helps us to think more deeply is also a reason why the fire of God's Word should be at the center of the blogging blaze. The Bible should constantly be our meditation (Psalm 1), and we should be seeking to use our thoughts as a tool in order to delve deeper and deeper into this inexhaustible treasure mine.
Second, blogging helps us understand others. One of the certain joys of blogging is not only making your own, but always checking up on those of your friends. As you read their blogs, you are getting a deeper glimpse of what they are thinking. This helps us to better understand them and hopefully deepen relationships with them. Whether it is a friend or family member that I see daily or someone that lives far away, I count it a blessing to listen to the thoughts of others via blogging, and I have found myself encouraged many times by the thoughts of others about the Bible.
I also believe that blogging is simply fun and enjoyable. If we are all honest, I think we will all admit that we get quite excited when we see a new comment on our site, quite satisfied after we've made a sweet post, or quite bummed when someone hasn't updated their site for two weeks.
I certainly enjoy being a part of the blogging community, for I belive it has many benefits. So if you are reading and do not have a blog, I encourage you to start one. If you are a bonafide blogger, keep posting! Keep thinking, keep writing, and keep reading. May you mine a wealth of posting material from what the Lord has been teaching you. I'm looking forward to reading all about it.
"God, your Word is good/ It is of benefit to me"
Phil Johnson, director of Grace to You, calls his blog "Pyromaniac." Under the title of his blog he quotes Jeremiah 23:29, which says, "'Is not my word like a fire?' says the Lord." The word of the Lord is indeed a fire that burns brighter than any other, but lately I have also been seeing the effects of the blogging blaze.
As my family, my friends, and I have become swallowed in this proverbial sea of blogging, I have started to have some questions about blogging. I asked myself, "Are all these hours of composing, reading, commenting, and tinkering with our templates really worth the time?" I was musing on this earlier in the week as I was cleaning out the gutter in the back of our house, and the only answer I could come up with was a resounding, "Yes!"
"Why is blogging beneficial?" you might wisely ask. Well, I will give you just a few reasons. First, blogging helps you think. During a scholarship interview at The Master's College this February, Professor Jim Owen and I discussed the importance of education, particularly the skills of reading and writing. We thought these two skills were so important because they help us to think at a deeper level. I believe this is especially true of writing. Before we write something coherent, we must first understand it in our own minds. Whatever you write about, whether it be sports, politics, music, or the Bible, you will find yourself having to think more about it as you put your thoughts down on paper, or the keyboard, if you will. The fact that writing and blogging helps us to think more deeply is also a reason why the fire of God's Word should be at the center of the blogging blaze. The Bible should constantly be our meditation (Psalm 1), and we should be seeking to use our thoughts as a tool in order to delve deeper and deeper into this inexhaustible treasure mine.
Second, blogging helps us understand others. One of the certain joys of blogging is not only making your own, but always checking up on those of your friends. As you read their blogs, you are getting a deeper glimpse of what they are thinking. This helps us to better understand them and hopefully deepen relationships with them. Whether it is a friend or family member that I see daily or someone that lives far away, I count it a blessing to listen to the thoughts of others via blogging, and I have found myself encouraged many times by the thoughts of others about the Bible.
I also believe that blogging is simply fun and enjoyable. If we are all honest, I think we will all admit that we get quite excited when we see a new comment on our site, quite satisfied after we've made a sweet post, or quite bummed when someone hasn't updated their site for two weeks.
I certainly enjoy being a part of the blogging community, for I belive it has many benefits. So if you are reading and do not have a blog, I encourage you to start one. If you are a bonafide blogger, keep posting! Keep thinking, keep writing, and keep reading. May you mine a wealth of posting material from what the Lord has been teaching you. I'm looking forward to reading all about it.
"God, your Word is good/ It is of benefit to me"
posted by Ben Blakey at 6:39 PM
3 Comments:
Bro,
I've got to agree with you that blogging is a good thing. In fact, I'm psyched out of my mind about it! Blogging is a great way for us to let the word of Christ dwell in us so we can teach and admonish one another with it as Colossians 3:16 says. Thanks for your blog bro! I hope you stay on fire not just for blogging but for God Himself!
I was excited and encouraged to see your new post. I have been blessed by other sites as I read what God has been doing in the lives of others, and my own site has encouraged my meditation on God and His Word.
Brian-
I just noticed your comment today (July 26), so sorry if this is late, and I hope you get this answer.
Yes, Step Onto Liquid is my twist on Step Into Liquid. I am a very novice surfer. I live in SA, but I travel to CA a lot and will be moving there in a few weeks.
Thanks for the comment-
Ben
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