I searched technorati today. There are 33,482 Christian blogs. Of those there are 831 reformed Christian blogs.
Some of those blogs are written by some of the worlds best pastors (John Piper, CJ Mahaney and others).
Standing amongst the shoulders of these giants is little me, with my tiny blog with much poorer skills and much fewer readers.
Part of being a Christian is having the humility to discern what we can do to best serve the glory of God. So I asked myself: should my blog exist?
It is a question you should ask too. In the light of all these tremendous blogs, should yours exist?
1. Is it unique?
Reformed guys, how many of you are blogging through the Institutes? Or talking about NT Wright? Or discussing Mark Driscoll’s interview with DL?
Be honest, is your blog doing anything I couldn’t find done elsewhere? Is it done in a simpler way or a more in depth way? Does it apply it to the Christian life or to non-Christians? What do you do that’s special?
2. Is it worthy of time?
As I’m reading your blog I could be just as easily listening to a Tim Keller sermon, reading John Owen or taking in some of Sam Storms meditations on scripture. Why should I read your blog?
Maybe some of us should say less. Are we really worth our readers pouring over our 500 words every day?
Also consider, is it worthy of your time? Are you just wasting time writing when you should be studying scripture or reading the giants of the faith?
3. Is it your gift?
Demian Farnworth is an amazing writer. He keeps my attention (in the fickle world of internet writing) through many pages.
Are you the same? Read a site like CopyBlogger or ProBlogger and find out what a good web writer consists of. Is this where your gift lies? If it isn’t, why should we be reading your blog?
4. Do you know what your talking about?
I decided in my early blog days to blog my thoughts on the trinity, despite knowing hardly anything about it. Richard pulled me up on that and I had to retract my comments. Ever since I’ve (tried) to only blog about what I know.
Now don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with thinking through your theology. But a blog isn’t a place. Go onto a forum discuss it with others there.
But when you type something as a blog, to those who aren’t familiar with the format it seems like you know what your talking about. On the last day all teachers will be judged. Are your posts worthy of praise or judgement?
5. Are you about the Lord’s work?
Now I’m not saying “If you’re a Christian with a sports site get it off now”. But are you using your genre to point to Jesus, even in just a small way (i.e. your bio)? Are you building friendships that will lead to souls being saved? If you’re not helpling Christians or (more importantly) preaching the Gospel to non-Christians, is your site an opportunity like Jonah to escape from the truth?
6. Are people listening?
Check your stats. Check your incoming links. Check your comments. Are you just speaking into thin air or are people actually listening?
It might be you have a very small audience (hey we all start somewhere). But if it becomes apparent that no one is listening to what your saying then use your time better elsewhere.
7. What’s its point?
Why are you driven to blogging? Do you want to reach out to the lost? Do you want to hone your theological accumen? Do you want to promote good resources? Why are you blogging?
Some of us just blog because we blog. We keep sustained by the idea we might get another reader. Well, that’s just people pleasing and it is idolatry.
Sit down and write an aim statement for your blog, and then think:
8. Would you be more useful in alternatives to blogging?
Not everyone should blog. But there is an awful lot you can do. Here’s some things I’d suggest.
- Guest posts/co-blog: You may not have enough posts in your veins to post weekly. Why not give your posts to other blogs? Or even ask to co-blog with another group of people, lessening the pressure on you. I’d love to have you post an article here. Drop me an email (whether you’re giving up blogging or not).
- Comment: On the big blogs, rarely does the author engage with his commenters. You however can follow up on their comments. You may even be able to correct wrong thinking. Go to a liberal Christian blog and reveal their errors (in a LOVING way!!!!). Go to an atheist blog and discuss their stumbling blocks. This is a real ministry.
- Forums: These are great places to ask your own questions and answer other peoples.
- Internet Chat: Do you remember when chatrooms were cool? Or am I just really long in the tooth web-wise? There are still people there you can witness to and talk to, if you are more personally gifted.
- Yahoo Answers: This is a net ministry I think would be great to be involved with. People ask personal questions and there is a theology section. Could you answer their questions?
- Wikipedia/Knol/Theopedia: If you know something about something very particular, these 3 maybe good places to contribute.
- Amazon Reviews: You know, most people who buy a book will read its Amazon review. However, few sound books have reviews (especially in the UK) and most of the dodgy books’ reviews are glowing. Could you make a difference there?
- Stumble Upon/Digg: If you’re one of those people who links like crazy, have a look at sites like Stumble Upon. If you write a good review of a blog post or a site you can send lots of traffic that way. There are many good writers who simply don’t have the publicity.
- Real life ministry: Old fashioned I know. But have you ever talked to your next door neighbour about Christ? Could you be preaching in a real pulpit rather than a virtual one? Does your church need a new Sunday School Leader? Is this for you?
- Family: Your spouse and children are always your first ministry. Is your blog wasting valuable time you could spend with them?
My Response
I know this post is long enough as it is but I need to say something to the regular readers of my site. It has become clear to me that blogging is not where my gifts lie. Let me run through my questions to myself:
- I’m sure you could find people answering the same questions as me better.
- I am not worthy of your reading. My knowledge base is small and I am immature in their faith. Others would serve you better. As for my time, it is utterly drained trying to find readers somewhere in cyberspace. I am spending hours that I should be spending tackling the massive problems in my spiritual life.
- Whether writing is my gift, I do not know, but I do have gifts elsewhere. If I am to develop those gifts it would be better to give up my blog.
- The posts I have done answering questions have taken me ages to research. The truth is I am still discovering. The problem with social media is people can ask me questions I am not sure of. When I preach I can spend a long time studying a topic and I have free time to grow in other areas of knowledge. My blog drains so much time I can’t grow deeper in the Lord.
- I do think I’m about the Lord’s work, but see number 7 for why that doesn’t necessarily mean it is a good blog.
- I blessed with the readers I have here that are engaged and ask challenging questions. However, I serve them poorly. Most of these readers would do better to write my posts that read them!
- If I am honest pride drives a lot of my blogging. I want more readers, I want more people to visit my site. It is pathetic really.
- This past week I fasted from blogging. I was able to spend more time in prayer and study that really blessed my soul. I was able to help with a youth group that struggled for leaders. I was able to spend time doing things for the benefit of my lovely fiancee. Blogging is already draining my time, and to think when Nat is my wife, that I may spend more time on my blog than her is abhorrent.
So this is my blogging swansong. I will write the last post in the If Christ Were Real series and then I will go. If anyone would like to take over the site, get in touch. If I’m convinced you are a biblical Christian I will hand over the reigns of my pet project to you.
I’ve grown to really appreciate some of you guys who are commenters and would call you friends. I hope we can keep in touch. If you want to do so by email, or by me commenting on your blog I would be happy to do so. Moreover anyone who wants to ask me a question about this or any of the issues on this site can feel free to contact me.
But I’m not going to pretend any longer that blogging is my ministry.
What about you? Should your blog exist? Write your answers to my 8 questions below. Let’s consider together how worthwhile our blogs are.
Tim Wilson is a primary school teacher in the North East of England. A Bible-believing Christian, he's committed to putting Jesus at the centre of everything he does.
14 comments
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March 1, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Richard
Some good advice there Tim. You have certainly posted some good stuff since I have been subscribing to your blog, if I were you I would take the stand, rather than shutting up shop you say that if in the future you have something Christ centred you wish to share then you will post that.
But I can certainly say that spending time with Bavinck’s Reformed Dogmatics or Muller’s Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics will be worth your while.
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:15-17).
March 7, 2009 at 8:50 am
Tim Wilson
Thanks Richard,
I probably will keep the site but I doubt to post on it any time in the near future. It is better for me to walk away than keep the possibility of temptation.
The two books sound aweome! I’ll have to get them some time, thank you for the advice!
March 1, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Eshu
Tim,
Sorry to hear this. I enjoy reading your posts and consider you to be a thoughtful writer.
I feel you may be expecting too much of yourself and being to hard on yourself. Do you think each one of those 33,000-odd blogs is genuinely unique? It doesn’t have to be the best in the world to be worthwhile.
As for knowing what you’re talking about, I think that’s overrated. Seriously. Most of the stuff I write about is new to me and I’m far from professional. But that’s the point; for me it’s as much about asking questions, giving tentative answers and seeing what other people think. I hope to learn things from my blog. You’ve shown humility rather than arrogance in your responses and your willingness to consider another’s viewpoint. In my opinion a blog should not be a formal decree of they way things are, but an opinion, open to discussion.
That said, I completely understand about how it can take over your life. If it (or anything) comes between you and your fiancée then you should certainly reconsider how much you blog. More than once I’ve let down a friend or cancelled something I was looking forward to because my wife really needed me; she does the same. There’s no denying that for most of us writing a good blog post requires some time and effort. I initially tried writing one post per week, but found I was angry at myself when I failed to do that and ended up writing a few posts that weren’t as interesting or well-written as I’d have liked. Nowadays I only blog when I have something I want to say, and I feel far more relaxed and happy about it.
Consider taking a break and only writing when you have the time or inclination. Either way your comments will be welcome at my blog.
March 7, 2009 at 8:53 am
Tim Wilson
Eshu,
Thanks for your advice. It has been a pleasure having you comment on my blog, and I hope to continue to keep in touch with you via yours.
As I said befor to Richard I will keep the platform but I believe it will be a long time before I use it if I do.
March 1, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Bill Starr
Some great questions, Tim. Sorry to hear you’ve decided to discontinue your blog, but if that is what God is telling you, then that is what you should do.
I hope to write a post about the thoughts that your post has raised for me, but have neither the time nor the mental energy to tackle it at the moment.
March 7, 2009 at 8:54 am
Tim Wilson
Thanks for your encouragement Bill. I look forward to hearing your post. Doing linkback here so I can see it.
March 2, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Natalie Freeman
Timmy,
I’m so proud of you. Thank you for being more concerned about your relationship with God and how you glorify Him, than how you can be most popular or how you can enjoy yourself. Thank you for wanting to find your joy first and foremost in Christ.
That will benefit both you and me so much more than anything else ever could. I am so blessed to have you as a godly and sacrificial leader.
Nat
xXx
March 2, 2009 at 10:13 pm
demianfarnworth
Couple things, Tim:
1. You ARE a good writer.
2. 33,000 blogs is a lot. But most of it is tripe. 833 is a lot. So do something there not doing. And I will tell you this: you’re blog stands out from the other blogs I scan…even those who are famous.
3. Following point 3…you have a small tribe of followers. That’s all that counts. Most pastors would love to have 10 faithful listeners. Nurture them.
4. Keep the blog, as Richard suggested, so it’s available. Who cares if you post once a month?
5. To develop grand traffic, comments takes time. Lots of it.
6. Being bullheaded helps. Just look at Mark Driscoll. [Whom I adore, by the way]. He’s been at it for 10 plus years. It takes most people 20 years to be an overnight success.
Okay, that’s six things. Got inspired. Whatever you do, know I support you.
Thanks for the link, by the way.
Demian Farnworth
March 2, 2009 at 10:27 pm
demianfarnworth
Thought of no. 7: Over time your blog will evolve, especially if you are a careful observer of other blogs, watching what people are doing and aren’t doing, so you can avoid being a copycat and you can capitalize on vacuums. You will slightly jockey the point of your blog all the time until big time.
March 4, 2009 at 2:49 pm
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[...] Should your blog exist? by Tim Wilson [...]
March 10, 2009 at 4:50 pm
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[...] part, that’s why I’m frustrated by Tim Wilson’s decision to bail on blogging. He’s a guy who wasn’t afraid to engage non-Christians. Even militant [...]
March 28, 2009 at 2:07 am
Clark Bunch
I can understand feeling like the blog has taken over your life. I agree that your ministry is first to your family. Your advice makes a lot of sense; but…
You point out that there are giants out there in the blogging world. Internet Monk reports getting over 1.5 million pageviews a year. Some pastors can charge a subscription fee for their podcast, whereas most can’t give it away. But at the same time, you’re concerned about attracting more readers. In humility, you don’t want to grow your blog for the wrong reason, while at the same time you direct us to read the blogs with millions of subscribers that you stand in the shadow of. It sounds a little conflicted; I’m just noticing.
Here’s the deal with my blog: I do real ministry everyday. I teach in a small private school. My wife and I lead a small group of students on Sunday morning. We lead BCM, and I preach in our school chapel, as well as a small church nearby. It’s full-time ministry, but here’s the thing: we have about 350 students and 150 or so adults. We’re way out in the sticks (very rural) and far away from everything. I can keep repeating the Gospel to the same 500 people on a regular basis – and I will – while reaching the world with my blog. My blog was viewed over 30,000 times during my first 12 months of blogging. Some of those are “fans” who read each post I write, but many surf in, perhaps looking for specific stories or Bible lessons. In the real world I have a fairly regular audience here in rural Kentucky, but my blog gets read in Canada, Great Britain and India. I will never see or speak to most of these people in person, but my blog gets viewed on every continent but Antarctica.
I see blogging as a way to reach out. When I first started, I reasoned that there’s a lot of junk on the internet, and if I could contribute anything that was at least better than junk, it was worth it. I have a higher opinion of blogging now than I did then. Just a few thoughts.
July 9, 2009 at 5:35 am
David Leon
Seems like most of the christian contributor is encouraging type, all I can say is ask God and see if it is His decision.
July 19, 2009 at 8:44 pm
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