It’s likely you think one of these or something quite similar: (A:) I have no idea what blogging is. (B:) Blogging is something only teenagers and women do. (C:) If blogging happens by men, it’s only for men with PhDs or in ministry and they have something to teach everyone. (D:) I have nothing to say and/or no time or ability to say it, and even if I did, nobody wants to hear it.
If you think any of these, or anything similar, then this is for you:
Bro, you’re missing out by not blogging!
I have consistently blogged for 12 years now, and simply put, my life wouldn’t be the same without it. I could dive into many, many stories and details on how it has benefitted me over the years.
Rather than “wax on” and on about it though, I’m going to give you a list of benefits to consider for yourself – just straight-up thoughts on why you need to get yourself blogging, whether here with us or anywhere, and do it pronto!
Why You Need To Get To Blogging, ASAP
This is in no way a comprehensive (or prioritized) list, but it’s a few of my top-of-mind benefits I’ve seen from over a decade of consistent blogging. Here are a few ways this one practice can change your life:
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It Helps You Develop And Think Well, Quickly And Accurately
Your life is a journey of maturing and developing, and writing out your thoughts forces you to consider each detail far beyond simply pondering a concept. Want to develop your theology, understand a political issue, remember scientific information, comprehend a technical process, process a recent experience like a mission trip or grief, etc? Write it down.
Writing is proven to strongly connect to our memory, but just knowing you’re writing something that others could potentially see also forces you to clear things up in your head far beyond privately journaling it, in which you take mental shortcuts because of your own assumptions. You’ll be amazed at how much you didn’t actually fully comprehend until you wrote it out!
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It Helps Others Learn To Think Well
Obviously, if you’ve done the work to think something through, write it out in a logical (or somewhat logical) order, this is going to be beneficial to someone else. I always say, “If you’re going to learn it, why not write it out so someone else can too?!” This is the beauty of blogging (and no, Payte and I didn’t know we were going to write these two posts back to back)!
We’re all in this together, so why not help each other out as we develop?! I couldn’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve learned from both highly educated folks, and just common-man friends that are blogging! Often, the most helpful content I find are guys just like myself who are simply working through something – my language; my knowledge level. Powerful!
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It Records Your Thoughts For Easy Reference And Future Access
One of my first posts I wrote on my personal blog when I began, years ago, was one that a friend asked me to explain. Taking my advice from the last two points, I wrote in great detail about “Why Bad Things Happen To Good People”. As I began going into ministry, I cannot tell you how many times that topic came up with genuinely searching college students or speaking on panels, and I was continually floored at how many times I pulled out my phone, went to my blog post, gave myself a quick refresher on what I, myself, thought on the matter, and explained it as if, “Oh yea I just ponder these tough issues all the time and never forget the finer points – I’m pretty much genius.” Ha!
Also, I couldn’t tell you the number of times I’ve been in a conversation and said, “Ya know what, I wrote about this once, I’ll send you the link!” This works for everything from apologetics to “how to migrate a database”. You’ll never be sorry you wrote it down, even if you change your views later.
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It’s A Non-Intrusive Way To Share Wisdom, Beliefs, Advice, And Start Conversations
Like I previously mentioned, my blogs have proven useful again and again in sharing thoughts with others. All you’re doing is writing out your thoughts – nobody can be mad at you for that! You’re not yelling it in their ear on the street corner – “forcing it down their throats!”
My wife recently wrote about her struggles with eating healthy and body image, and intertwined the gospel into it clear-as-day! She just casually mentioned it on some social profiles, and the amount of friends who would have never had conversations about those sensitive and stigmatized topics whom have since said, “Wow that was so powerful!”, is amazing! It helped them with a tough subject, and there’s no way they missed the underlying, most important, gospel message in it!
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It’s A Great Way To Meet Like-Minded People (Or Learn From The ‘Not-So’)
These days, each individual can have his own “mini publishing company” and the amount of social awareness and connectivity this gives us is astounding! One of these days I am going to sit down and count up the now-actual friends I’ve made just through the internet – not to mention the hundreds of solid acquaintances who may or may not still become better friends, business partners, trusted advisors, etc!
Even if it’s not their specific advice you need from their blog (though it often is), you can also connect because of a blog! Just the other day, I was thinking through some legal issues and emailed a fellow blogger, Eric Dye, asking him about his experience with a multi-author blog he runs called Churchm.ag. We exchanged emails for a day or two, he happily gave me some advice, and we moved on. He’s on the other side of the globe, I’ve never met him in real life, and yet because of his blogging I was able to value his insight, ask for it, and have him affect my life. Think about that!
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It Will Continually Help You Professionally
Over the years, I’ve fooled so many people into thinking I’m wiser, more organized, and more productive than I actually am, and received paid work, because of my blogs! Ha! Seriously though, not only will it impress employers that you have a disciplined practice of thinking well, over time you will have built up a sizable collection of thoughts around certain subject.
I know numerous people who have gone from hobby blogging about interests to careers in or relating to those interests, fueled by their blog’s content giving them credibility and predictability in those fields! Is that not amazing and powerful!?
Even this week, I’m taking time to read through a list of blogs by guys who I suspect could make good partners for an idea I have – I’m looking for their values, their beliefs, the way they think, they’re relational awareness, etc., and I need to see it in their blogs for a specific reason!
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It Forms Great Habits And Discipline!
Like previously mentioned, in time you will build up a sizable, useful, valuable (yes, even monetarily speaking) library of content around your favorite subjects, but you’ll also be amazed the other ways this helps you in discipline.
Anytime you can develop habits and discipline in one area of your life, it drastically helps you do so in other areas! In times I’m struggling to stay consistent with one area, I find that if I begin in another area that’s easier for me, I quickly can translate that to my harder area. Whichever way you have to come at it with your blogging, it will be worth it in many other areas of your life!
Nothing is more powerful than little bits of consistent effort over time!
Just turn around and look after 30 days, then a year, then a few years, you’ll be so amazed and glad you began – even if it was horrible at first!
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It Impresses The Ladies
Ya know… last but not least… What lady doesn’t want a wise, disciplined, helpful, aware and connected man who shows he values clarity, helping others, developing himself, being committed, and working at things over time. I mean, really, does that need explained any further for anyone?
Obviously, if you’re in ministry, this should be a no-brainer for you – get to blogging! But, even if you’re an average poop-smith (know the reference?) you can benefit profoundly from beginning to blog!
If you’re thinking, “I don’t know where to blog”, or “I don’t want to build it and maintain it”, or “I don’t know if I could keep it up consistently”, or “It’d be more fun with friends” then the answer is simple: START HERE WITH US! This blog is an easy and safe way to get going, and hopefully keep going, with like minded friends – we even help you edit and format so don’t fear if you have zero experience or skill with any of it! It’s easy!
Also, we’ll soon be updating our Recommended Resources page with info to help you get your own blog set up and get going. So check that out!
If you want more information on these matters, let me know in the comments and I can continue to blog about this to help ya out!
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