When Blogging Became My God
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2014 is not a year that I would like to repeat.
If there ever was a year that I was stressed out and frantically working all the time, it was 2014.
I am blessed to be able to work from home. I am blessed that I actually get paid to do what I am passionate about. The downside is the constant push to do more. If you work harder, longer and produce more product you will make more money.
More, more, more.
And I bought into that concept last year.
The result was that I worked 7 days a week.
There simply were not enough hours in the day for me to squeeze everything into 6 days – between housework, meals and kids. I was constantly upset that someone or something interrupted my work hours that were carefully sculpted into the perfect balance in order to reach Monday morning with a clean slate.
The problem was, there was no time to factor in spontaneity and the unpredictable nature of family. Inevitably, someone would get sick and need constant care, my husband would have a day off and want to take a family outing, we’d run out of something and I’d have to run to the store…
…and all these seemingly minor things became major when work wasn’t getting done, which would mean later nights, earlier mornings and working on Sunday – something I’d always had a strong conviction about.
Then came progress.
My blog began to grow, my Facebook page had more interaction, and money started trickling in faster.
Along with these little milestones came the lie: “Don’t let your Facebook page go quiet, even for a day, because you might lose followers and your stats will plummet”. “You need to start posting articles 5 days a week to keep your blog stats up. Content means traffic”. “You need to do more ‘fluff’ content and affiliate posts so that you make more money”.
All of these pressures meant more time was needed to attend to my blog, researching out affiliate opportunities and scheduling Facebook posts so that my “well oiled machine” would keep generating.
And you know what?
It didn’t pay off.
Sure, I had more comments and a little more traffic, but it wasn’t worth the horrible stress I was under. It wasn’t work the insomnia because a million thoughts were flying around in my head about what I needed to do and… “how on earth will I ever get it all done???”
Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the Lord.
The Sabbath day wasn’t just a day to rest; it was a day of “rest to the Lord”. A day to be spiritually refreshed. A day set aside where we break from the normal activities of the week in order to focus entirely on Him and worship Him.
I couldn’t do that.
Even when I wasn’t physically working, my mind was buzzing with ideas of what I could or should be doing.
In essence – my blog became my god.
As 2015 approached, I knew I needed to make some changes. First and foremost, I needed to free up time in order to rest: physically, spiritually and mentally.
As I began emptying my plate, I began to notice a distinct sense of peace and joy return, that I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Soon it became clear that I needed to retire Missional Call – and that one decision was the final piece that brought me back to a place of balance.
I have chosen to not post to Facebook on Sundays – either “live” or via scheduling. Sunday is a day to worship God an that’s where my focus needs to be!
I don’t write or do any blog stuff at all on Sunday, because I want Jesus Christ to take center stage that day – a symbol that He owns center stage in my life.
God promised Moses:
My presence with go with you, and I will give you rest.
What I find interesting is that Exodus 35 starts with a reminder to keep the Sabbath day holy and then immediately launches into repeated instructions for the tabernacle.
The tabernacle – where God’s presence was.
As if to say, “You cannot have true rest apart from my presence!
Jesus also said, ““Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
And this is what I’ve learned.
Working at a frenetic pace will not get you where you need to go. Trying to squeeze too much work into too little time, just to try to get ahead may get you ahead in Corporate America, but Corporate America is not where its at.
We do not serve that king!
We do not labor for that kingdom!
We represent another King and another Kingdom!
That King commands us to rest.
And His rest is found in His presence.
That is what the Sabbath is all about – resting in His presence!
I have dethroned the god of “get ahead and achieve” and Almighty God has taken His rightful place in my heart as I learn to rest Monday – Saturday and then make Sunday all about the King!
I love this! It is inspirational. We are in the “More of everything era”. Thank God for wisdom. God gives us increase and that is the grace factor. I have also slowed down too on blog posts. Frequency should never replace quality.
God Bless friend.
Yes – quality is most important. I’ve been there, though – cranking out 5-7 posts a week…you simply can’t keep up and quality starts to slip. Now I”m writing from the heart. And it’s amazing how God’s using it!
Your the first post I’m commenting on from this link up and God knew what I needed to read. I am a month into blogging and you are right, the time it takes to blast it off has consumed me. To the point that as much as I enjoy writing, I second guess myself all the time. Thanks for those sweet reminders.
Oh – I’ve been there, Michelle. Don’t let the enemy cause you to second guess yourself! You be you, and share the message God has given you to share. It is so easy to compare ourselves, but there is so much danger there.
Well said, and a danger to many!!! I also like the comment about bloggers posting “fluff” just to stay active. I find that bogging me down and tend to avoid some bloggers more than read their posts. Maybe that’s what they’re up to! Thanks for the insight!
Yes – it really takes the fun out of following blogs when they post more fluff than quality content. It is tempting, but we have to remain focused on what God has called US to do!
Great post! The comment about posting fluff is so important. That is where satan shows up in our ministries, whether on-line, in person or any other format. He feeds our sin nature by deceiving us with “your ministry is about you not God”. We can compare ourselves with others, want to be popular, want to be successful, etc. This is probably the most used tactic by satan and his demons for anyone serving in any field of ministry. Sadly too many get caught up in it. For me, that battle is fought not just every day, but every time I sit down to write, create a graphic, or post on any media.
Thank you for this great reminder.
Blessings, Jana
I agree. comparing ourselves with those who are more successful is so dangerous! I every area of ministry…online or in the church.
Rosilind, what a great post! I am still getting the hang of the blogging world and at first I was very concerned about the aspect of it being a form of income for my family. My husband and I are also in full time ministry and so having the blog provide income was a hopeful thought. God is bringing me out of that mentality now. I realize that if it makes money that’s great, a blessing even, but I cannot focus on it. It is not about the numbers but about doing what God has told me to do. Thank you for this reminder and encouragement! Be blessed and keep up the great work!
Yes -it really does center on what God’s desire and plan is. I do blog for income, but I don’t allow that to overshadow – or even determine – what I write about. That can become a huge trap. I have seen that happen to enough bloggers, as they lose focus as to why they started blogging in the first place. If our desire is to encourage the body with a message God has given us, we certainly can’t allow money to come front and center. It needs to be a bi-product of what we REALLY do.
This is such an important thing to remember. I know that I’m susceptible to this problem too. In fact that’s one of the reasons that I walked away from blogging for a year. I wanted to get my priorities straight. I like the idea of keeping one day completely free from blog/social media stuff. Thank you for writing this.
Yes – we do need one day to get away from it all. That helps to keep us sharp and focused on what God really wants for our ministry to Him.
Thank you so much for sharing your heart with us, Rosilind.
As with all things in life, if we aren’t careful we can end up with many idols. I can certainly relate to this one. I like to say that my blog is God’s blog. That way it takes the pressure off of me to over perform. I can just do my best and trust Him with the rest.
Thanks for this encouraging reminder to keep all things in their proper perspective.
Yes – our blog MUST remain God’s blog. The pressure to perform is so great! But when our perspective is correct, we stay balanced.
This was incredibly timely. I heard and bought into all of the lies you mentioned (except I haven’t tried the affiliate thing yet), and you’re right…it burns us out, and we can never be “truly present” resting in God or attentive to our families. Thank you for your honesty. I needed these reminders. Great choices you are making!
Thank you, Bonnie. Yes – burnout is such a trap….and it’s hard to get out of it. I am so glad the Lord’s truth set me free!
Visiting via Grace & Truth 🙂
Thank you for sharing your experiences with us Rosiland! I’m a newbie blogger and your cautionary tale is filled with wisdom and truth. Starting off the goal has been to bless others and bring God glory. I don’t want to lose that focus. I love how you point back to finding rest in Him and the importance of taking a day off. I’m blessed by your words and these reminders today!
It is so easy to lose focus. But when we regularly refresh our minds and spirits it is easier to stay focused on what God really wants from us.
Amen! I have SO been there. Lately, I’m only posting once or twice a week at best and that has been wonderful. I’m not a slave to my blog or a slave to idolatry.
Yes – we cannot be a slave! I am learning that, too. It’s okay to skip a day…or two….or more sometimes.
“We represent another King and another Kingdom!”
This is a great post. Way to prioritize and put your focus where it needs to be. I think this is a great reminder for everyone.
Thank you so much for your encouraging comment, Emily.
Thank you for your words. They are timely and well-said. Good for you for stepping back and reclaiming the Sabbath. It’s turning off the mind that is starting to get to me. I hope I can take a page from your book and realize there are more important things to do on Sunday! Following.
I am blessed that this encouraged you. Have a blessed weekend!!
Wonderful post! It is so easy to get caught up in things that don’t really matter. Thank you for your wonderful example of making God a priority in your life! I really admire that!
Hugs!
Sarah
http://sprinklesonmyicecream.blogspot.com/
This is JUST what I needed today! I know blog growth is slow. And I am trying my darndest not to lose myself & my priorities… But it is so easy sometimes. “Let me just finish this one thing” turns into 2, 3, &4 more things and who knows how much more time. Thank you for this wonderful reminder! I’m also doing GMG & to read it & then stumble upon the message again–is more than enough of a message from God for me to slow down 🙂 !
It is slow. Very slow at times. But it is easy to allow it to consume everything. (I know from experience). God is so faithful to remind us of what is REALLY important! I am so glad you’re with us on the GMG journey!! Blessings!
It’s so good to hear this from someone else, this is one thing I told myself when I started blogging. It will be nice to earn money from what I love doing, but not at the expense of all things dear.
Thanks for sharing.
Oluseye
Yes – balance is really the key here. It’s not wrong to make money, but it shouldn’t be our goal.
Thank you for a needed reminder.
You’re welcome Nicole. We all need this – and I’ll be stopping by to remind myself what God taught me, too.
A wonderful, thought-provoking post. Thank you so much for sharing it at Grace at Home. I’m featuring you this week!
Thank you for stopping by!!