My heart is stirred by a noble theme
as I recite my verses for the king;
my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. Psalm 45:1
I remember this verse gracing my computer screen with calligraphy script as a background wallpaper many years back.
I wanted to be a writer.
A scribe for the Lord. I know many of you reading these very words are Christian bloggers who may have had that 
idealistic glint in your eye and assured persuasion on your soul that you were going to write for God as well in this challenging digital era.
But now complacency has set in. Maybe even the well-known writer’s block. Maybe you just want to give up. But can I throw in another maybe in here, friend? Maybe you (and I) are focusing on what we shouldn’t. Maybe we could use a little hope…
1. The problem with focusing on numbers. We all want growth and there is certainly nothing wrong with trying to multiply our numbers. I feel like we should be faithful stewards of what we’re given and try to multiply what we have. The problem comes when the numbers rule over our thought life. You know the line of thinking: I had “x” number of visitors last week, but this week I only have [fill in the blank] amount. In my good moments, I catch myself in this line of thinking, remembering King David who was too focused on numbers himself.
1 Chronicles 21 shows us the Shepherd Boy Turned King, David being tempted by the devil to count his men. Here’s a brief portion of the story:
“Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, ‘Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.’”
If you read further, you’ll see Joab trying to counter David, practically begging him to stop the census before things get ugly. His words essentially were, Why, David, do you need to count these men and incur guilt onto Israel?
This may seem a little puzzling. Is counting wrong? No. But the motivation behind David’s counting was seriously tainted. His counting bolstered his own numbers and his own might. Just as David wrongly counted his men, so we can use our blogging numbers to bolster ourselves as Christian bloggers, or even to demean ourselves on the bad days. But numbers used correctly when looking into Google Analytics with a shrewd eye can create a productive method of strategy. Numbers should always rely on our heart’s motivation. A great fiction book that may encourage you on the “numbers game” is a fictional book by Francine Rivers called And the Shofar Blew
2. Don’t despise your small beginnings because God doesn’t.
”Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.” -Zechariah 4:10
God delights in us dutifully trying even if that “trying” looks a little closer to a little one trying his legs at walking for the first 
time. It’s so much easier to conceptualize and have our writings stowed away in a journal that’s saturated with dust mites than to actually “do.” If you have a blog, you’re out of the phase of thinking and onto the phase of doing and this my friend, is a bigger accomplishment than what most will regard it as. If you’re not where you want to be with your blog, good! You shouldn’t be because you haven’t arrived at your final finish line! If you feel super uncomfortable with your progress, it’s time to agree with your adversary. I know that sounds super weird, so let me explain.
The secret to a good lie is to always tell a partial truth. The devil will give you partial truths all. Of. The. Time. And our moments of blogging as Christian bloggers are no exception. So what does that partial truth offered to you as a lie look like?
It looks like telling you that you’re not Ann Voskamp and you’ll never live up to her potential. Well, part of that statement is true. You will never be Ann Voskamp because Ann Voskamp was created by God to be Ann Voskamp. You have your own unique voice, friend. The part of that statement that isn’t true is that little part that dogs you about your own potential. In that moment, we have to hold on to the small ounce of truth that is hidden in the lie which looks a little something like this, “Even though I love Ann Voskamp, I’m glad I’m not her because God has created me to have my own voice, my own unique story, and my own calling.”
At the end of the day, it is God who allows for growth from our small acts of obedience.
3.There is a time to sacrifice our counterfeit gods. Anything BUT God can become 
misdirected and eventually mistreated as a substitute idol. This can even include our lives as Christian bloggers. A great book on this that will radically reshape your mind is Tim Keller’s cerebral, yet accessible book,Counterfeit Gods
In the book, The Magnolia Story
Are we willing to trust that God is a good God who can be trusted with our sacrifices?
4. Grace is still an option. Condemnation tells us we are not good enough and actually shuts us down from productively moving forward with an intentional game plan. Grace says our errors will not diminish us and instead, propels us forward. Let me just say, I’m not talking about the cheap grace here that Bonhoeffer mentions. I’m talking about the grace doled out to us when we come before the Lord with a heart longing for His perfection and not our own form of perfection.
Sometimes we mess up as Christian bloggers. Sometimes we hold envy in our hearts towards other bloggers; sometimes we offer bad advice to a reader who is hurting and sometimes we mess up in other ways, like grammatical errors and factual errors within a post. Whatever errors pop into your head right now friend, don’t try to ignore them; attempting to ignore our mistakes and “press on” destroys an opportunity for us to vulnerably come before God’s throne room of grace. Confess to Him your errors. No, “spelling errors” are not a sin. But shoving our errors down and hoping we can manage on our own is a self-sufficiency we need to repent of, myself included.
Remember, His grace is always an option,
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Thank you for this post! I really loved reading it and am especially encouraged by the first point about focusing on numbers.
So glad you were encouraged by the post, Karen. I think the “numbers struggle” is a big one for most bloggers, so you are certainly not alone!
Sarah- from one blogger to another, thank you for writing this! I am encouraged and strengthened in my calling!!
So glad to hear you were encouraged by the read, Shannon. You certainly have a wonderful story through the Lord that needs to be shared through the blogging sphere!
Blogging is rewarding, but can also be lonely a journey. I am blessed to have blogging sisters who encourage one another to keep moving forward. Thanks for the insight. It was definitely on time for me.
Glad you were able to find some insights to take away, Tania. Blogging can feel lonely, but I don’t think it’s meant to be a lonely endeavor, so I’m glad you’ve found sound connections to plug into that have encouraged you along the path. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you. 🙂
Wow. Such powerful words! I loved the verses you mentioned. I’ve written them down so I may meditate on them. I needed to hear this today, thank you!
Thanks for taking the time to drop by and read the article and leave a comment, Rosie. I’m happy to hear the article resonated with you and that you’ve found the verses to be helpful on your journey as a blogger.
Love, love, love this, Sarah. God gave me Zechariah 4:10 when I first started blogging and I’ve returned to it often. This calling is certainly much more than numbers, but discouragement can definitely set in when we set our eyes on them, rather than God. Love your prayer and encouraging verses for writers! Pinned them!!!
So glad God encouraged you with the verse from Zechariah 4:10 as well, Tiffany!! Someone randomly spoke the verse over my hubby and myself and we realized it can be applied to so many areas of our lives. God loves it when we take a small act of obedience; He delights in seeing a work begin. Thanks for pinning the images and for taking the time to drop by. It’s much appreciated! 🙂
Fabulous! Such a reminder to not “own” our blog and our writing. I am guilty of the numbers things too and then God gently reminded me this was His blog. I am a voice for Him and what a privilege it is!. When I released my hands from the blog and gave it over to him the numbers things became irrelevant and peace prevailed. Thank you for writing this!
So glad you had a freeing experience when you released your blog to God as well, Leslie! Yes, it’s so vital to remember that anything that’s in our possession comes from God Himself. Keep being a wonderful voice for the Kingdom, Leslie!
Let me tell you, this is exactly what I needed to hear!! I have been blogging for about six months now, and sometimes it can be a little discouraging when I focus too much on my stats…or I start to compare myself to other bloggers who have bigger numbers… This was so encouraging to read, and thank you so much for sharing!!
God bless
Yaaay! So glad this was what you needed to hear, Krystal.
Reading This post came at just the right time for me. I have been discouraged lately. Some days have a good # of visits and others have 0. But I hear God saying to keep on. So I thank you for listening when He told you to write it.
Yes, please keep on keeping on, Stephanie! The world needs your unique voice. <3
Thank you for this beautiful reminder.
So glad to hear it was a wonderful reminder to you, Pamela. 🙂
I love this what wonderful encouragement. And I LOVE your graphics ?
I’m so glad it was encouraging to you, Finn– thank you for YOUR OWN encouragement to me! <3
This post was so beautifully written. Love your heart for the Lord and His word. You have definitely encouraged me as a blogger today!
So good, you spoke so deeply to my heart today as a blogger. AND your graphics! They are so beautiful and a delight to share. Thank you!
So glad I stumbled across this post today Sarah. While I don’t even recall how I managed to find my way here, it’s just the word of encouragement I needed and one that so many of us Christian bloggers need to hear from time to time.
Beautiful blog and a beautiful message. Thank you.
Thanks for writing this. I am hoping to start a blog soon and this is a great reminder of why I am doing it- not for me, but for the Lord.
God always has a timely word just when I need it– Today He used your words to encourage me. Thanks for writing these great reminders!!
This is great, Sarah! My site crashed about a month ago and after hours of working with my hosting company I was worried I might not get it back. My anxiety level was soaring – when I remembered why I do this. I stopped and prayed giving it all to God and asking Him to allow what He thought best. A few hours later, it was back with only one post lost. Trusting Him to do His will and accomplish more than I could ever do myself. Blessings!
I always love to hear from you, and this post is a joy to reread today
This post was exactly what I needed to read tonight. The numbers comparison with David really struck me. I’ll be thinking about that one a lot over the next few days. Thank you!
So glad to hear you were encouraged by the post, Laura! Yes, I remember reading the account of the census when I was a teen and really getting that huge wakeup call that the church plays the number game all too often (i.e.: counting the number of people saved, yet forgetting we can only know people’s hearts to an extent). Then, the Holy Spirit gave me that aha moment again when the numbers were beginning to weigh on me– this time, as a blogger. Truth be told, I don’t know how many hearts are penetrated with this blog, but I realized that should be more of my aim than looking at the numbers. Thanks again for dropping by with your words, Laura!
I love this post. Especially the part about counting numbers. I found myself totally guilty of that today! Thank you for writing this.
I’m so glad you found the post helpful to you, Megan! Hoping for the best for you in your blog/ministry endeavors.
Thank you for posting this. It’s easy to get into numbers and feel bad for commenting factual errors to readers. We’re only human and we’re bound to make mistakes. I like how you talked about confessing to God about our errors. Even if they aren’t sinful, I’m sure he’s happy to hear what is on our hearts.
Yes, it can be so easy to get caught up in the details like our errors and obsessing over our numbers that we forget about what’s really important. Happy blogging to you, Nychelle, and many blessings on your endeavors!
Great blogging tips! Loved this: “Don’t despise your small beginnings because God doesn’t.” Thank you 🙂
I’m glad you found the tips helpful to you in your blogging journey, Dawn!
There is so much truth and hope woven throughout this post – thank you for saying the things that not many Christian bloggers say. It is all too easy to let blogging become an idol (I’ve been there!) but we must daily surrender to God not just out blogs or our words, but every inch of our lives. It’s all from Him. It’s all for Him. May He bless you for your faithfulness and integrity. 🙂
Sarah – I have had a website/blog for about 2 years and have not felt a true purpose for it therefore I haven’t used it. For the last 2 months I have been involved in a women’s leadership journey at my church and God has challenged me to step out with His purpose for my blog. I now know the reason for my procrastination, and it was because I hadn’t given Him control. My cry to the Lord is that He will use this website as a mouthpiece to encourage and strength hurting and lost women for the Lord’s glory. Your blog was very encouraging and I will be reading many more of yours as well. Thanks so much and blessings.
Love your hearts cry, Debbie! And love, love, love this line of yours, “My cry to the Lord is that He will use this website as a mouthpiece to encourage and strength hurting and lost women for the Lord’s glory.”
I am so glad that you found the blog post encouraging, Debbie. Praying God fills you with exactly what you need to fulfill the purpose He has called for you. Many blessings to you! <3
Great article, glad I came across it!
So glad you found it helpful, Becca!
I just came across this on Pinterest. Thank you for your inspiring words!
I’m so glad it encouraged you, Kate! Thanks for dropping by. 🙂
Thank you for sharing such wisdom and encouraging words! I love that when we give it to God and trust Him with the outcome, everything will work out as He planned, and His plans are always better than mine!
“When we give it to God and trust Him with the outcome, everything will work out as He planned, and His plans are always better than mine!” So very true, Nicole! Thanks for dropping by! 🙂
Loved this. Thank you!