The Blog in Our Eyes (Part 1)
April 25th, 2007
(By Nathan Busenitz)
What principles should guide Christians who interact on blogs?
Having been asked this question on multiple occasions, even recently, I thought I would attempt to give a brief answer — highlighting ten Bible-based principles that I attempt (admittedly imperfectly) to employ in my own blogging ventures. I’m sure that additional ideas and principles could be added to these ten, and I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments section.
In any case, I hope this list is helpful both for those who blog regularly, and for those who are thinking about starting.
The blogosphere is notoriously nasty — a breeding ground for slander, gossip, misinformation, bickering, name-calling, arrogance, and quick-temperedness. Sadly, even “Christian” blogs can deteriorate into something between a tabloid and a talk show, built on a few provocative “tidbits” of juicy news and the massing of ignorance in response. Armed with anonymity and eager for an audience, “bloggers” (meaning both those who post and those who comment) often shoot first, and ask questions only after it’s too late (if they ever ask questions at all).
So how can we, as Christian bloggers, stem the tide and honor the Lord in the way we interact online? Over the next few days, we will consider ten practical principles in response to that question.
Let’s start with the most foundational . . .
1. Have Your Quiet Time First
As believers, we are to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18), being controlled and characterized by Him as we walk in His power (Gal. 5:16, 22–23). This begins with “letting the Word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col. 3:16), daily renewing our minds with the truth (cf. Eph. 4:23), taking up “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:17), and recognizing that it is through “the pure milk of the Word” that we “grow in respect to salvation” (1 Pet. 2:2). If we are to be Spirit-filled as we engage others in online dialogue, discussion, and debate — we need to first immerse ourselves in prayer and in the Word (cf. Pss. 1:2-3; 5:3; 19:7-14; 119:9-11).
This principle applies to blogs in at least two ways. First, we need to remember that blogs, as helpful as they are, should never be a substitute for one’s personal time of private devotion, Scripture reading, and prayer. If we are to be Spirit-filled and Spirit-led every day, we need to daily go to the book that the Spirit inspired (2 Pet. 1:20-21) and empowers (cf. Is. 55:11; Heb. 4:12). Even the best of Christian blogs (or books or CDs or DVDs, for that matter) can never compare with the very words of God. Before you indulge in spiritual snack food (much of which isn’t all that healthy), make sure you’ve first filled your soul with the meat and milk of Scripture.
Second, there is much about blogging that appeals to our sinful flesh, especially when a good argument is afoot. Pride, anger, impatience, and even jealousy (when another blog is getting all the hits) would quickly fill any list of common blogging sins. Such makes the importance of being Spirit-filled before going online vitally important.
So . . . until you’ve spent time in the Word and on your knees, don’t get on the web; you simply won’t be ready.
2. Stay Within the Lines
Like number one, this also should be a no-brainer for those who are believers, yet it often seems to be ignored. The point is this: Don’t say something online that violates biblical standards for godly speech.
Blogging is, after all, nothing more or less than speech, meaning that all of the biblical directives regarding speech directly apply to blogging. Many verses could be cited in this regard. Perhaps the most general is this: “When words are many, transgression is not lacking” (Proverbs 10:19), and the most sobering is this: “I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment” (Matt. 12:36).
Whether it’s characterized by gossip, slander, retribution, quick-temperedness, crudeness, falsehood, pride, or any other violation of the second greatest commandment (cf. Mark 12:30-32), it’s inappropriate. If it violates the biblical paradigm for godly speech, it doesn’t belong in our posts or in our comments — no matter how funny, how provocative, or how “perfect” it seems to be. A quick study of passages like Proverbs 12:17–18; 15:1; 16:23–24; 17:27–28; 20:19; 29:20; Eph. 4:29; 5:4; Titus 2:6–8; and Jas. 3:8–10 is a great starting point for any blogger concerned that his or her words both online and offline are honoring to Christ.
To be sure, applying the biblical mandates for sanctified speech is difficult in any circumstance. But it requires special effort and care in the blogosphere, where tone is difficult to accurately convey, and non-verbal cues are utterly absent. This means we must work even harder at seasoning our words with grace, and not being (or sounding) quarrelsome.
The bottom line is this: If it violates a biblical principle, then don’t post it. Sin is still sin, even if no one knows the true identity behind your anonymous pseudonym. After all, God knows, and in the end, His opinion is what matters.
3. Consider the Consequences
It is also important to realize that words have consequences. The book of Proverbs compares wicked words to things like sword thrusts, war clubs, firebrands, arrows, and death (Prov. 12:18; 25:18; 26:18–19), noting that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov. 18:21). James picks up on this theme in chapter 3 of his epistle, rebuking those who praise God and slander others from the same set of lips (cf. vv. 8-10). Listen to what he writes in verse 6: “The tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.” That is sobering stuff! And as we saw earlier from Matthew 12:36, our words have consequences that are not only temporal (cf. Gal. 6:8-10), but eternal (cf. Rom. 14:12).
When posting on the Internet, it is especially important to consider the ramifications of what we are about to say. Not only are one’s words instantly accessible to the 1 billion people who regularly use the Internet, but they are quickly (within hours) cached by search engines – meaning that it is nearly impossible to delete every trace of them even if one wanted to do so later.
The size of the online audience, combined with the relative permanence of what is posted there, makes what is said through a blog potentially more-damaging than anything that could be said in private conversation. Yet ironically, comments are often made online that would never be made in face-to-face conversation. Thus, a good rule of thumb is: If you wouldn’t say it in a face-to-face meeting with the person, don’t say it on the web.
But that’s for point 6, which we will look at tomorrow. The point here is that what we say has consequences — and what we say online has much greater consequences (potentially) since it is accessible to anyone and available permanently. This is something we should all remember before we hit ”submit.”
To Be Continued Tomorrow
Timely words, and I look forward to To Be Continued Tomorrow.
Pulpit has become a trusted source in my personal blog reading. I appreciate you addressing this topic and look forward to reading tomorrow. BTW, I think your point #1 most definitely deserves “first place” in our blogging (reading and/or posting!).
Very helpful. I have found especially spending my time with God in the morning first thing to be the most peaceful thing. Blogging is secondary. thanks for the post. Blessings.
This advice is absolutely right on! I wish this could be disseminated across the Christian blogosphere in mass!
I will do my part and link to this from my insignificant blog and encourage others to do the same.
I may be getting ahead of you, but Ephesians 4:29 must be applicable in every means of communication. Here is an attempt at a paraphrase for the blogger: Let not corrupt words be spread across the internet but only that which is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may minister God’s grace to those who read them!
I would agree with you in all these realms of blogging, but I feel that it is more than just we should watch waht we say in a blog. I think that you have to come to the realization that “From out of the heart the mouth speaks”. So really what we say via email or blog just revels what is in or hearts and to go and blog it is a more descriet method of saying. So ultimatly we have to come to these sights with a mind set that is Christ focused and one that is centered on him.
Nathan,
To add to point three. There are things that can not be easily read or read at all on blogs or emails and that is tone of voice and body language used by the person who is posting or writing. Many times someone is writing something in fun but comes across as hateful or even mean. We need to consider how the person(s) who reads what we write will take it. To avoid having what I post on my blog come across badly (and to check my bad grammer and spelling) I have my wife read my posts before I post them.
Nathan if you were going to comment on this later my apologies.
Nathan,
Thank you for addressing this. I hope that somewhere in the series you will reommend a standard for Christians of not hiding behind a name other than your own. If we are to speak truth to one another in love, anonymous communication is sub-Christian behavior. If we will not put our names on our internet comments, we should now publish them. It applies to places other than blogs as well.
Keep up the good work!
Jim
OK now, if someone actually gets jealous because another blog is getting all the hits……….they really need to grow up. I am not trying to be judgemental but generally speaking that is something people should get beyond when they get out of college or at least by 25. Maturity does indeed come with age, no doubt, but spiritual maturity comes with the amount of time spent ALONE (not at church, not with your brothers and sisters, not listening to messages from your favorite preacher, etc.,etc.) with God. Time alone with God is the only way a believer grows up as an individual child of God, not a mirror image of their favorite pastor or preacher.
Nathan,
I’d be interested to see you address common explanation of Christian bloggers for angry speech, that they are simply imitating Jesus, who was angry at sin (e.g., with the moneychangers and Pharisees).
How would you respond?
amen
Michelle Brock,
Thanks for your comment. We will look more at that specific issue on Friday (in part 3), so I think I’ll wait to comment until then. Please feel free to raise the issue again on Friday if you want to discuss it more.
Thanks,
NB
I don’t know whether it would go before or after point 1, but part of my response to this is “what about something positive to say?”
No, not that we should unequivocally say that blogging is good. Far from it. Rather, what I mean is that instead of concentrating on what NOT to do, we should concentrate on what TO do.
Put another way, before we say anything on a weblog, we should ask a very simple question; will this edify a brother, or help lead someone to Christ?
If we don’t ask this question, we can have, in the words of MacBeth, sound and fury, signifying nothing.
[…] Before you read this, if you have not had your quiet time with the LORD of Lords yet, please come back later. I don’t want you to read my blog if you have not done your devos yet. Seriously. “If we are to be Spirit-filled as we engage others in online dialogue, discussion, and debate — we need to first immerse ourselves in prayer and in the Word.” (Nathan Busenitz) […]
For Christian Bloggers…
I’ve been reading the series The Blog in Our Eyes over at Pulpit Magazine. As a beginning blogger, I appreciated the practical suggestions for glorifying God in the blogosphere….
Nathan,
You might be interested by the brief comment that Crawford Gribben shared on the Andrew Fuller Centre for Reformed Evangelicalism official blog.
The quote is from Fuller and though, not originally intended for blogging (of course!) is very appropriate.
You can see it here:
http://andrewfuller.blogspot.com/2007/04/fullers-advice-to-bloggers.html
Many blessings,
Allen R. Mickle, Jr.
A much needed series. I’m linking to this for my readers. Thank you for taking the time to address this.
[…] It is rather timely that as I start this blogging journey, Pulpit Magazine has begun a series on blogging - and I think everyone should have a read, as it is so easy for Christians to fall into the ‘blogging’ and even ‘commenting’ trap. […]
This is an interesting post and very appreciated by me. When I attended the second annual GodBlogCon last year this issue was brought up, but until now I haven’t seen much of what you’re saying put into practice. Hmmmm…maybe it’s easier to blog about then to actually do.
I look forward to the rest of your series. Keep up the good work.
Amen!!! So glad you’re saying it…I’ll link this to my blog. Sometimes we Christians need to be reminded that we are Christians everywhere we go…even online!
looking forward to more insights…
The danger with this article is that it suggests that we edit out the anger, frustration, sadness, and confusion that comes with our humanity. If the psalmist can question God and write of his despair, “You have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend,” surely scripture is giving us permission to voice the thoughts of our hearts, no matter how ugly it is.
While blogging can be used as a testimony to the goodness of God, it can also be a place to wrestle with our questions through dialogue with others. Of course we must speak with grace but the rules of blogging the author proposes appear to be contrary to the grace that also needs to be shown to the blogger, whose words show an area that the Lord needs to deal with. Let’s not put down some rules to whitewash tombs in order to look “nice” and suppressing what’s really going on in the hearts of our brothers and sisters.