Thots On Popularity

I’ve been thinking about popularity lately – specifically, this website’s popularity.  I suppose it’s a good thing, but what does it say when a person posts his thoughts and out of the millions on the Internet, there are enough visitors in a week to count on one hand?  If I wrote a journal and locked it like a young girl would do, I wouldn’t worry about snoops.  Not enough people are interested – and those who are don’t comment much (.  

It almost seems arrogant of me to be doing this “blog.”  I mean, think about it.  I publish my thoughts to the internet – and why?  So that people can read and respond.  Then next to nobody reads – and those who do are not returning very often.  

Back to popularity.  I’ve noticed a couple of things that make a difference.  If I post on a hot topic (i.e., politics), then the interest peaks and I’ll need two hands to count my visitors.  If I post on a spiritual issue, people cruise through as quickly as they can, hoping to move on to something else as though they had made a mistake in coming here to my blog site.  

Then I read a commentary today about Barna’s latest research which tells that pastors and their congregations have remarkably different viewpoints on many things.  Many pastors believe that their congregations hold their faith as the single most important thing in their lives – but these pastors are wrong (only about 15% of the congregations hold that belief).  The challenge?  Quit being popular and start being proper.  By that I mean, we pastors need to stop worrying about getting the congregation to like us and start getting them to love the Lord.

So, in response, while you might be reading my blog (and I thank you for doing so), I want to take this opportunity to encourage you to fall in love, grow deeper in love with Jesus Christ who has given His all to show YOU His love.  Knowing that sin grieves Him, forsake it for His sake.  Be blessed in your relationship with Him.  Then, encourage others to stop by and get the message.