I noticed something today.
Social media can be a toxic trap when trying to grow your business/blog/brand.
There’s pressure to get in on trends to get more views, more likes, more follows. But life isn’t about that. Jesus said, “if any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24 NRSV)
Following Jesus isn’t about gaining numbers. It’s about denying our self so He gets the glory. This reminder is also timely. A year ago, Jesus, the great vine dresser, pruned areas of my life I didn’t know needed pruning. Beth Moore in her IG stories once shared that it seems cruel to pinch off the buds of a young vine, but that sent a signal to the plant to establish a better root system.
A gardening friend shared that pinching off the first buds of some plants pays off when there are MORE flowers and fruit because the plant receives a signal to bloom more buds.
As I dealt with the pruning, I learned so much more about Jesus and His mercy and grace. I also learned that sometimes, stuff happens and we have the choice wither away or continue and grow through the pain.
Conversely, and a really random parallel with vineyards and God’s pruning comes from a 1995 Keanu Reeves movie A Walk In The Clouds. I vaguely remember the plot because I watched it in college with a roommate, but the part I remember best is near the end. A fire threatens to destroy the vineyard that provides the livelihood of this family, and Keanu Reeves character recalls something the vineyard owner once told him and goes to rescue a vine with firmly established roots, saving the family from ruin and shame. We think that pruning is hard, unkind, and sometimes cruel, especially when the branches seem healthy. But when the vine dresser knows what he’s doing, he’s not cutting away healthy to be cruel. He’s cutting it away to strengthen and continue the health of the vine so it may continue to bear fruit.It just sucks when that happens.
Anyway, back to numbers. I will willingly sacrifice a following if it means growing closer to God and spending time with my family. The joy of the time spent with my daughter outweighs the amount of followers slaving away on social media would get me. I’m not here for followers and I think I finally realized that. So I might not post here much. For me, it’s not because I am tired of playing the games to stay ahead of trends… it’s because I’m realizing I want to spend my time and emotional resources elsewhere.
I also am really recognizing that I excel when I’m a part of a team, not when I am going solo. This blog, while an act of obedience, has been me and God. No team to help edit posts or social media. Just me. And it’s exhausting.
Last summer ended with a significant pain that led to immeasurable joy. My biggest lesson: Great joy and great pain can coexist. Neither negates the presence of the other. It’s in this tension Jeremiah writes,
The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall! My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Lamentations 3:19-24
Let us take time to remember this: Social media does not define our worth or success. Great joy doesn’t mean one is not experiencing great pain or vice versa.
God’s work in us is only a part of the story, and while I have some majorly big fears about what 2022 may hold (It’s been a roller coaster!), I have a bigger God. Taking time away from the metrics of social media and numbers helps me to walk confidently in Him.
So I won’t be blogging regularly. I likely will have long breaks from social media. I promise, it’s so that I can stay centered on Him and not on placing my worth on the numbers. But you never know, He may call me to be a more regular writer, and I’ll be ecstatic. I love to write. I love to teach. But I realize this blog and my social media are not as effective for my relational heart. Peace of Christ be upon you. Karen
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