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What Are You Building?

By

broken bricks

Photo Credit: John Donges

 

Building a blog. Building a platform. Building a following.
In this blogging world, we read about building all the time, don’t we?

With each word and thought and post and comment,
each interaction, each tweet, each mention and share, we are building.

But what are we building?

I have wrestled with this question every time the idea of platform building is brought up, and I shrink back. The reality of Genesis 11 hits me with full force, and I wonder if my mind equates building my platform to building my tower of Babel.

“They said to each other, ‘Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ … Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves…’ (Genesis 11:3-4).

A name for ourselves.

The barb of those words pierces me through.

That old slave of seeking approval and perfection and wanting to be accepted and liked and seen rears its ugly head, and I must flee!

The temptation to stack those bricks to make a name for myself can whisper loud at times, but may it never be! I don’t want to build with bricks. I am not called to build with bricks. I am called to be a living stone.

Living stones don’t build towers; they become altars. 

And those altars are beautiful because on them we pour out, lay down, give away, that our lives might become a living sacrifice.

Less of me; more of Him.

Sweet sister, can’t you already feel the freedom in that?

Even in this competitive world of blogging,
even in the desire to get noticed,

we can put off envy and division. Selfish ambition has no place. We can let go of vain striving and fierce competition. As we become that altar and pour ourselves out for His name, following His lead, we find the purpose and fullness and hope He has for us.

Bricks are made by man, but stones are created by God. I am not the builder, He is.

Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones” (Psalm 127:1-2 NLT).

What endless toil there is in laboring over a plan that is not God’s.

Solomon knew this well when he penned Psalm 127, one of the very few Psalms written by him. One well acquainted with meaningless striving (Ecclesiastes 1), Solomon recognized that all the effort and time and work spent on anything that God does not build is wasted effort. It is pointless. Futile. Meaningless.

It is just bricks.

“Imagine pouring your daily efforts into something completely meaningless. None of us wants our work to be in vain…The question we need answered is whether or not God is in our labor and indeed initiated it as His own building project” (Beth Moore, Stepping Up).

Are we spending ourselves on making bricks? Are our blogs just another way to build a name for our selves, or are we surrendering selfish ambition, following Christ’s lead, living lives marked by spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God so that we might be living stones?

We are not to build up for ourselves but pour out for Him.

We aren’t called to build, but to be.

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

“I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him” (Romans 1:1-2 MSG).

Oh Sisters, may it be that our words, our blogs, our very lives follow God’s lead and be all about making much of Him!

“Not to us O Lord, not to us, but to YOUR name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness” (Psalm 115:1).

Soli Deo Gloria!

Erika

erikadawson.com

Comments

    • Thanks, Natasha. As I was praying and writing and praying and writing, I kept pondering: when the fire tests the quality of our work, how much of it will just burn away? (1 Cor. 3) With all my heart, I want to BE who God created me to be, DO what He has called ME to do, and invest only in eternity…and I want that for each woman He has created; for He has created each of us so uniquely! Thanks for your encouraging words. May we all be living stones!

  3. I was really convicted about this lately. In blogging we are also about numbers. And promoting ourselves. But, Jesus Christ/God, who made 5 loaves and 2 fish feed 5000, is not daunted by the task of growing my numbers. If He wants to. He doesn’t need me to promote myself. This is also reassuring in these months lately that I have no money for ads on other blogs.
    I just need to be faithful in the task He has already given me-using my blog to glorify God, and minister to those who are already reading it.

    • Amen! And I think you hit the nail on the head, “If He wants to.” Sometimes we’re pushing so hard for something, but that something isn’t His best for us, or isn’t His best for us right now. It’s a faith walk, listening, following, trusting and that PLEASES Him! Thanks for taking the time to write. Blessed by your comment.

    • Thanks for the encouragement, Christin. I have wrestled with this and was nervous to post it, but I’m holding fast to Him, trusting that He put it on my heart for a purpose.

  5. Thank you again! I just love reading the blog posts here, because they help me keep my focus. There are so many other ways I get tugged and lose my focus. Thank you for shining the Light. I keep all these Truth laden posts to read before I post or when I feel like I’m lost in what to write. Prayer and Truth from this blog has been a treasure.

    • Your words bless me, Paula! SO thankful that God is using these posts and this blog for good in your life. All glory to Him!

      ps…are you coming to the Allume conference in October? 😉

      • I really want to. I’m just not sure how to get the finances to work to be able to go.

        • I’m working on that, too. Have you looked into having someone sponsor you?

          Keep laying the desire before Him. He will make it clear. If going is the right route, He will provide the extra or show you a way to do it. I’ll be praying along with you, Paula!

  6. This is so encouraging -thank you. It’s a fight not to let the social media work overshadow the actual writing of valuable words.

    • yes! And yet I’m sure you’d agree that God can use those valuable words in the social media work, too. So often it comes down to being faithful to the work HE has given us individually. If we’re not following HIM, we’re going the wrong way (even if we are doing a ‘good thing.’)

  7. You have so perfectly put into words what I have been praying over my blog! His to build, His to use. My picture may be on the site, but when people look at it I want them to see Jesus. I want to be a blessing to others

  8. Thank you for the very words I need to read today, Erika. To be a living stone… it’s a struggle in this blog world. I began my blog, feeling inspired to share my faith and motherhood journey. I wanted to share Christ and encourage others to seek Him. Then – social media. It’s often an odd place of competition and self-focus. You are so right in this, “We are not to build up for ourselves but pour out for Him.” Thanks for the encouragement to be the living stone, no matter where the social bricks may fall.

    • “…no matter where the social bricks may fall.” YES!

      As alone as we may feel in this struggle, I think it is much more common than we realize. Like in so many other areas, it’s easy to forget the specific purpose for which God has personally called us when we’re so busy comparing ourselves to others — even if it begins as innocently as ‘learning’ from what another blogger is doing. We need to guard our hearts even here. Thanks for taking the time to comment, Karin. I’m so thankful these words spoke to you.

  9. “We aren’t called to build, but to be.” I love your words…and even more so love your heart behind them. Thank you for sharing the freedom seeking Him offers.

    • Thanks, Melanie. It’s so easy to get “entangled” with those things that weigh us down. I need the reminder just as much as anyone to “throw off anything that hinders” and “run in the paths He has commanded.” Thankful for our God who sets us FREE!

  10. That Psalm, 115:1, it is a perfect prayer for my blogging, for my living! Erika, this was such a refreshing reminder of writing for that Audience of One. I’m hearing that a lot today and am determined remember that it’s not me who’d doing any of the building, but God. Awesome post!

  11. Yes! because it all means nothing if we can’t point our readers in the direction of the One who keeps His finger on us…loved this!

  12. This hits home. In a slightly different way though. My struggle is that my job as a freelance writer includes media specialties – for my clients… Social media, site content, SEO, press releases, you know that “stuff” the web competition thrives on – and those things are in my mind for them. Legitimately for them.

    I however have been called to writing personally as a mouth to tell of what God has done for me and taught me about loving others. So I find it difficult at times to balance that little bit of practical need with the bigger need of the heart to just pour out and let Him.

    But I remember:
    He has my back. 🙂 You said it exactly right and beautifully Erika. It is what I remind myself when the “media gal” tries to surface too much — More of Him and less of me.

    • God def. has your back, Friend. 🙂

      In writing this, I didn’t mean to imply that participating in social media or sharing our posts, etc. is wrong. We just need to be aware of our motives and our desires.

      God has wired us with individual personalities and experiences and giftedness, and He uses those things. I don’t think you always need to suppress your “media gal.” God has allowed you to be in that position for a purpose. We just need to remember not to take off running without Him b/c we “know” what we’re supposed to do — you know, that “leaning on our own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

      Our job is to keep surrendering our will to His, keep seeking Him and keep following where HE leads (Proverbs 3:6). The cool thing is, when we let Him lead, we stop running into those brick walls we built. 🙂

      • Yes those brick walls. I’ve had those upside the head a few times. 😉 But if not for His grace I’d have a head full of brick from those times. Thankfully I’m made of soft clay that the Potter can continue molding.
        Your piece gave me no condemnation but joy in reflection that He has equipped me. Well.
        Bless you sister. 🙂

  13. Such a beautiful and honest post. Yes, it is a real challenge to keep the heart’s priorities in check as a christian blogger. I pray God will always keep my heart aligned with His.

  14. Wow, Erika! This is really speaking to me as I revamp my blog to reflect more of God’s presence in my life. Thank you for this reminder.

  15. you say sisters. How about the brothers? 🙂 I am reminded of John 3:30 as I read this Erika. “He must become greater; I must become less.” As a pastor, husband, father, grandfather and a blogger, I have to, no need to, realize my purpose is greater than me and promoting me. It is to bring fame to His Name. I have really struggled with this whole platform thing and why I blog. I keep no stats so really have no clue how many read/don’t read my blog compared to others. I personally am not fond of “My Most Popular Blogs of the Month” etc. Just not into that I reckon. You speak good truth here Erika. (I came by way of Melanie Wilson’s The Inspired Blog).

  16. What you wrote here perfectly says what I have been feeling. I have read the popular stuff on Platform building, but my heard just couldn’t get behind most of it. As you said, it’s not necessarily bad. It’s all about the heart. It’s about following the Spirit’s guidance on every detail. And, for me, it’s about blogging even if no one reads it because I know that first and foremost it is what I am supposed to be doing in this season of my life. I know He will use it, and that using may be just to draw me closer to Him. Thank you for bravely putting into words what I had been struggling to say. Well done.

  17. Nice!!! I know this was for me to read especially b/c God has been talking to me this whole week about not trying to make a name for myself and reminding me of that passage! How awesome then to read this! I love that you contrasted it with what I should be striving for instead. Beautiful!

  18. I so struggle with this as a blogger/writer/speaker….I’m a pharmacist by trade, called to do all this other stuff! I love what you said in the post and needed to hear it! Thank you!

  19. I think I’m echoing other hearts, as well. Ever since I decided to take writing seriously, I feel like I’m running in circles. I’ve been asking the Lord what He wants me to do, but I really haven’t been focusing on Him. I think it’s time.

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