Why?

What’s this blog all about? Why am I writing it?

It’s kind of funny. I’ll talk about this in future posts, but there’s a place at the intersection of your spiritual gifts, your interests, and your talents…this place is an area of ideal ministry for every Christian.

For me, one of my spiritual gifts is exhortation. It’s a word you don’t hear often anymore, but in the Biblical context it means to appeal to someone, to urge them on, to admonish. My gift is to encourage people to live the life God made them to live, despite their fears or misgivings. A lot of people don’t realize that they’re made for more; God didn’t make us to sit in pews surrounded by long-faced “religious” people. He invites us to a life of adventure, but we too often settle for what’s comfortable…or…stable. There’s more to this life.

Oddly enough, I’m an introvert. Connecting with a lot of people and encouraging them in this way doesn’t seem like a natural fit if you’re an introvert. That’s where my writing talent comes in. I have a bizarre collection of experiences that ought to be shared, but I don’t like to go on and on about myself; that just seems arrogant or self-centered. By typing about my experiences and sharing them online, I can reach many more people than I would face-to-face, and can hopefully share some of the lessons I’ve learned for the benefit of Christ’s kingdom.

So why do I write this blog? It’s kind of hard to describe. Ever have a feeling or an idea that just won’t go away? Many times this is God’s way of telling you to do something. That’s what happened to me.

So…why?

I have to.

I’m excited to have purpose. I’m excited to look through the lens of this blog and see order in a large collection of disjointed experiences. I’m excited to see what happens next. Most of all, I’m excited to see what my obedience results in. There’s a video in the “additional resources” section where one of the speaker’s main points is that you have no idea what your obedience will set in motion. For all I know, this is the start of a career change for me. I might be exhorting people full time someday.

I’m writing this blog to encourage you to live your life in such a way that you take full advantage of what God is offering to you. In terms of having a positive impact for Christ’s kingdom, you have one life to live. Live it, and live it hard.