Brainstorming for Bloggy Purpose {Day 2} Heart Matters

Yesterday we talked about taking the time to seek God’s will for our online presence. I pray that you have done that and are open to hearing and heeding his voice. Today we will begin the journey to discovering the purpose of your blog. If you already know your blog purpose then then feel free to add your comments to help others find theirs. We would like to hear about your journey to discovering it.

We all have different gifts, talents, challenges, and passions. Look at Jesus’ twelve disciples. They were all uniquely different and had varying purposes within their group. But, they all had one thread that united them: their ultimate purpose was to build the kingdom of God. You share this common thread with them and with us. No matter how we purpose to do it our ultimate goal is to build the kingdom of God. We can do that through disciplining, edification, teaching, evangelism, and by being an example of Christ.  So yes, even if your blog is not Christian or religious in content it can and should still be for the Glory of God and purpose to use it’s presence to build His kingdom. I will add though that if you are using your blog as an actual business then this will not apply to you. You will need to seek a business model.Darren also has a fantastic ebook that will get you started on some basic blogging skills. I highly recommend the ebook that started all of these wonderful “31 Days to” series you have seen across the web. You can get it here: 31 Days to Build a Better Blog – Easy step by step ways to improve your blog presence! If you simply take a few ads here and there and are an affiliate — just not a full fledged business — then continue on.

I know that for years I thought I knew my blog’s purpose. I changed names and content so many times that even I got lost in the shuffle. I can’t imagine what that did to my readers. The problem was that I was making posts and content searchable for the purpose of search engine rankings. I had been told over and over that I needed to market myself in order to promote events and the books that I wanted published. In all reality there is nothing wrong with doing this but it became sin for me because it became the purpose. I stopped listening to God’s voice as to what to publish and instead I decided what to publish based on what would get me higher rankings. I can honestly say that I am finally at a point in my walk with Him where it does not matter to me what my rankings are. I have seen His hand miraculously move in different parts of my life and I know that if someone needs to read a particular post then they will find it with or without the help of said search engines. With that said, I still take steps to make my site Google worthy for the sake of spreading His word to more women because that is what missionaries do – we go out into the world. I just don’t make it all about that part of it. My heart is now pure about the matter and that is what makes the difference.

If you want to know your blogs purpose then let’s start by clearing your mind. Now picture your blog in the future. What features does it have? What is the content like? What goals have been met or exceeded? Who are your readers? What matters most to you? Write them down or type them out. Spend at least 10 minutes writing down anything that comes to mind. Go ahead and do that and then come back.

Finished? Good. Set that aside. We will return to it in just a bit.

I want to set this thought in place before we move any further. Is there any one particular scripture that is continuously brought to your attention? I want you to ponder it and quickly ask God to bring it to remembrance if there is one.

Now, let’s look at that list you made. Pray and ask God to reveal things to you. Which of the things listed are purely for your benefit? Are you primarily after blog fame or financial gain? Is there any pride involved in any of the written responses? If so, highlight those. Don’t scratch them out. Do you recognize any of the responses as something you feel God has been speaking to you about? If so put a star or asterisk by them. Circle any responses that target specific gifts, talents or abilities that you have. Some answers may have more than one mark and that is typical and okay. Just mark each accordingly and we’ll sort them out later.

We are going to leave it at that for now because just as sure as I sit here typing this, the second we move on then you will remember something else that should be on that list. I think you need a good night’s sleep and some additional time to ponder it. Make additions when necessary but don’t remove anything. Tomorrow we will discuss how to utilize this coded list. Be sure to remain in prayer about this. God will reveal His plans to you. Ponder Matthew 6:33.

Find the rest of the series here: 31 Days to Online Ministry

Also check out:

• Missed BlissDom 2011? Get It Here. It’s just like being there!
• ? 31 Days to Build a Better Blog – Easy step by step ways to improve your blog presence!