Why I Blog?

John over at “While We Sojourn” asked an interesting question yesterday – why do I blog? I appreciate the question due to the fact that I enjoy evaluating what I do. The evaluation process makes me question my motives, my goals, and my process of achieving those goals.

I find in many cases my process is working to accomplish the specific goals that I have set for either myself or for certain tasks. Naturally, there are those times when an extensive evaluation enables me to tighten up or refine my steps or my processes. There have been times when entire projects have been scrapped or revamped. The evaluation process determined that they were not working or were not effective in achieving my goals. I am not afraid of “killing” processes or programs that are not working or effective.

Initially, it was Abraham Piper who started me blogging. One day while perusing around “Desiring God” I found an article that gave six reasons why pastors should blog. Those reasons seemed valid and beneficial. I thought, what they hey – I can do this!

Now that John has asked this question I can re-evaluate my motives and re-think why I blog. Let me share the following reasons why I blog. Perhaps some of you would be so kind as to evaluate me and let me know if I hit any of these marks from time to time.

1. First and foremost I blog for the glory of God. I desire to reflect, demonstrate, and magnify telescopically the glorious, magnificent, marvelous, manifold, majestic, and massive character of our God. To “steal” from Eddie Eddings blog “Facets of Grace”, we could never fully unfold and portray every facet of the grace of God in this life-time. I am having fun trying.

2. I blog to teach and instruct. Colossians 1:28-29 is what I have dedicated myself to. “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

This is my life’s work. Teaching, exhorting, sharing, and ministering is what makes me tick. Honestly, it doesn’t just make me tick; it gives validity and value to my life. Blogging is just one more avenue to do these things.

3. I blog to expose as many people possible to as many great resources that perhaps they might not have ever been exposed to. I enjoy sharing writers, pastors, quotes, books, sermons, ideas, and even songs that could possibly be a blessing to someone.

Not everyone is going to like, need, or even appreciate everything I share. That is ok, I know it going in. However, if one person periodically is blessed, or moved to praise God, or is encouraged then praise be to our living God!

4. I blog to develop my writing skills. I want to be a blessing in every venue, including writing. I realize I am new at this. Blogging gives me a chance to practice and hopefully get better. I know that my writing needs improvement. I didn’t utilize the opportunities in high school or college which would have helped me as a writer. I hope to fine-tune my “skill” each time that I write. Hopefully, my writing will be better next near than it is now.

5. I blog to develop new friendships with other brothers and sisters in Christ. There are so many family members in the body of Christ I will never meet until we are in heaven. What a shame! There are so many of you who have been a blessing to me already. I think of you, I pray for you, I laugh with you, and have cried with some of you. I have been deeply moved by some of you and you probably don’t even know it.

I would love to correspond with some of you. Exchange brief emails or what not. It is fun having friends in Texas, Virginia, Kuwait, Colorado, and wherever.

6. I blog to sharpen my thoughts. You all know that as you begin to think on a topic or rethink a topic committing it to the blogosphere makes you fine-tune your thoughts. Blogging makes you define your thoughts and to clarify your thoughts. At times it makes you defend your thoughts. Not necessarily in a hostile questioning environment, but just so that they can be understood.

7. I blog to have fun. I enjoy this immensely! I try to have fun even when being serious or attempting to teach an important point. My sense of humor is warped and dry. Sometimes just writing on a serious subject is fun or sometimes including humor or jokes is fun.

Well, there you have it John – seven reasons why I blog. Thank you for causing me to evaluate my reasons. They are somewhat different than when I began back in February 2009. I wonder what they will be in 2011?