Introductory Post – 5 Tips for New Bloggers
Pray for others.
This is the last tip in the 5 Tips for New Bloggers series and possibly the most important thing we can do.
In light of this series, I want us to specifically focus on praying for other bloggers.
I wish I could say I began praying for other bloggers the moment I began writing The Domestic Fringe, but I didn’t. I would pray for them when they asked, when they shared a specific prayer request for themselves or someone they loved, but I didn’t necessarily pray for their words, their success, their influence. That thought never occurred to me until I began reading Mended: Pieces of a Life Made Whole by Angie Smith.
I didn’t have to read long before God convicted me of something.
You see, for a while now, I’ve been thinking that we girls need to support one another. We should be in the encouragement business, promoting our friends and their goals and ambitions. We ought to help them see their dreams fulfilled.
Give them a shout-out more often than not.
We are in this life, the good and the bad, together. Why not be a cheerleader to those around you?
The following is an excerpt from Angie’s book Mended.
Maybe while you were reading this, several people came to mind, like women from a playgroup, work, Bible study, social interactions, or anywhere else there would be the potential for you to feel threatened in your role or insignificant in your own skin. I firmly believe Satan gets a major foothold when he convinces us that we have people we need to keep up with, when that voice in the back of your head whispers, “That promotion should have been yours,” or “If you invite her to this event, everyone will just forget about you,” or maybe even something like “There’s room for one, and if you help her up it will leave you in the dust.”
Resonate with you?
Sometimes every little thing in life becomes a competition.
We view the women around us as our enemies instead of as our teammates. I don’t believe there’s anywhere comparison plays a stronger role than in a woman’s life. You may disagree, but keep your eyes and ears open. It’s there like a low drone just below the skin.
Angie goes on to say the following.
There is no competition, ladies. There is no little room that only a few can enter.
There are two choices, and the ironic part is that they don’t affect the other person the way they affect you.
Start right now, and do something bold. Ask God to humble you and raise others up. If that last sentence made you bristle, chances are the Lord desires this to be a place that is fully surrendered to Him, and we can assume that this nudge is from the Holy Spirit. We need to hear encouragement from other sisters in the Lord, and they need to hear them from us. We need to stop believing that these words of affirmation do anything to jeopardize our own standing.
It can be someone you respect, admire, or any other number of things, but before the sun sets on this day, reach out and tell that person that she means something to you, and make a commitment in your heart to pray that God will use her.”
This is only one teeny-tiny portion of the whole book, but it struck a cord with me.
This business of blogging is not a grand competition to see who can collect the most readers, friends on Facebook, and Twitter followers.
Blogging is a gift, a chance to share our words and our thoughts. We have influence and we need prayer.
Pray for each other.
Pray we will use our words wisely, meet our goals, and succeed at the opportunities God gives us.
Praying for another blogger’s success does not mean you won’t find your own success.
The top is big, and there is room for you.
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