blog-life reflection of real life

about a week ago we were listening to talk radio {which ben loves & i absolutely loathe}.  on top of being talk radio {evil on its own}, it was terrible talk radio.  this local show was awful.  fortunately, out of no where, the host made an excellent point. i loved it.  it really stuck with me and made me think.  thank you, horrible talk radio. 

he was talking about the first few years of his radio career; he spoke of how he never checked any his ratings.  he knew that they were doing well because of the companies that wanted to advertise with them and the amount of people that would call in but he was never wrapped up in the numbers, the popularity, etc.  he said that the more he started to "check in" on their stats the more concerned he became with other's opinions, what other's thought of him and his work.  it made him want to conform to the idea of what other people wanted him to be.  he wanted to please his listeners.  he was tempted to stop being true to himself {maybe just in minor details but conform nonetheless} in order to win others over & to gain a bigger following. he spoke of his realization: the more you worry about what people think of you the more you lose yourself.  if you're constantly striving for popularity, to be well liked or to please others you will change and mold yourself into someone other than yourself.  

i think this kind of thinking affect all facets of life {including blogland}.  if one were to worry about pleasing readers, gaining followers, being recognized you could try and change, tweak, discuss things in a way that you think the masses will enjoy, even if that compromises {slightly, perhaps} the things that are most true of you.  i recognize that some people have "business blogs" where there business is spurred on by their blogging, it affects their livelihood.  i'm all for business blogs of course, but much like the radio host, is there any circumstance worth compromising & conforming what's true of you in order to spur on your popularity or career?  i vote no.

so much more importantly, having this kind of perspective makes you want to point to yourself more than anything else.  being encompassed with other's people's perceptions of you {your work, your writing} drives you to think of yourself and the presentation of yourself above much else.  it makes your life about pointing others to your self, when my {our} number one mission in life is to point people to Life, to the Lord {not ourselves}.

so friends, i just wanted to spur you on... meditate on things that truly matter, keep your eyes fixed on that which has eternal value.  be true to your beliefs and don't compromise to get ahead or be well-liked. when you're standing in front of your Creator i pray that you {and i} will know with full assurance that you lived to point people to Christ & that alone.  the world doesn't need one more person just like everyone else, that lives to exalt themselves, begs for attention or sings their own praises.  the world needs genuine people who stand firm in Truth.

"therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
romans 12:1-2

"as a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." 
ephesians 4:1