Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Now That The Fast Is Over, What Have I Learned?

I'm so thankful that I obeyed what I felt was the Lord telling me to give up my blog for what has been about 9 weeks now. When I first felt led to do this I just wanted to be obedient and do what I thought needed to be done and if you would have told me that this would have lasted for 9 weeks and a few days I wouldn't have believed it. I used to think that I just couldn't live without my blog, that I would probably just cave in and start using it again. Thankfully that didn't happen, and thankfully I have learned a lot from this experience.

Here are a few of the biggest things that I've taken away from this fast...

  1. Sometimes God just wants me to be still. That's it plain and simple. I had gotten so used to trying to run around and post things that I thought were fruitful when in reality if I would have really examined it I would have seen that some things were just done just to be done. Like I was trying to publish something new everyday and the motivation behind that was wrong. It should never be a task to be completed but should always be an outreach tool to use when the Lord has really laid something on my heart to share. (At least that's how my blog should be used).

  2. I learned that some people use their blog/s for the wrong reasons. I understand and totally agree that everyone is free to their own opinions and thoughts but what I don't understand is all the energy one goes through to get their point across when that energy could best be used to focus on how to fix the problem or reach others in love. I spent a lot of time surfing the net and looking at various blogs and what I found in the majority of "Christian" blogs was a lot of vile, bitter and angry hearts. I think it's one thing to have a separate blog just to unleash any pent up frustrations a person has but it is totally something else when your blog has Jesus all over it and every post you publish is negative or mean-spirited. How does that represent Jesus? How does that represent a new creation? What a person does with their blog is none of my business but if you claim to have a "Christian" blog then please represent our Lord in the proper respect He deserves.

  3. I learned that the Living Word is always the greatest source of inspiration. Many times I used other peoples blogs to give myself a "booster shot" of inspiration. There are so many gifted pastors, leaders and friends that I like to read who truly are blessed to write inspiring things. But I used those blogs and websites as a substitution to reading the word of God and that was a big mistake! Since being on the fast I have read my Bible a lot more consistently and I have found that every time I have opened it I have never closed it uninspired in some form or another. Seriously! Every time I read just the simplest verses or chapters I was inspired beyond compare. I think a lot of people look to the wrong resources for inspiration. Yes, there are a ton of gifted, Godly people, but how could they ever compare to the love letters from God himself? Think about it.

  4. I learned that what I do with my time is truly a big deal. It seems like almost every time I read a blog before my fast I would get this message from God that said, "If you only spent as much time in prayer or reading my word as you did worrying about what other people had to say our relationship would grow beyond your understanding." And that was really the inspiration to fast my blog. It is true that what God desires from us is a relationship, a real relationship. And every opportunity we have to grow that relationship should be taken when available. Every opportunity!

So I guess what I'm really trying to say is sometimes it's best to just return to the basics. To just let some distractions go and use that time to spend with the Lord. There are so many good blogs and websites out there that truly can help grow you in the Lord but as one pastor put it who's name I can't recall right now, "Sometimes you have to remember to choose the Best thing over all the other good things."

6 comments:

  1. Good to have you back. Glad your fast was fruitful!

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  2. Proud of you, and glad to see a brother listening to God and obeying what He leads you to do.

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  3. I think if you don't like what people generally write judging from their track record, you should quit reading what they have to say. That's what I do. If I think someone is full of it I either call them out or quit reading their stuff.

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  4. I had many similar revelations concerning blogging a while back, and felt led to cut back. It was cool to see many of the lessons I learned in "typed form." I hope you and Erica are doing well- I think about you guys often :-)

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