by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all that’s involved in being
a writer today. Not only do we have to write well, we’re also responsible for
making sure we have an audience for what we write.
We’ve been told it's important to:
- Have a platform
- Keep the numbers growing
- Build valuable connections
- Schedule webinars
- Share memes
- Start podcasts
- Blog every week
- Stay active on social media
The list goes on and we get buried deeper under the weight of
all our responsibilities—especially with social media and marketing.
Before we give in to weariness and discouragement we need to
stop, and think about why we’re here.
Why do we do what we do? Yes, we want to earn a living, but
money isn’t the main reason the majority of us have chosen to be a writer.
We do this because we heard God speak…maybe not in an
audible voice…but we heard and answered His call.
Because of the avalanche of expectations, some of us are in
danger of missing His voice. We want to honor His call, His willingness to
issue an invitation to join Him in His work.
We find ourselves in a miserable no-mans-land between
ministry and marketing.
But maybe we’re not as far from God’s call as we think we
are.
I challenge you to take a look at social media from a different
perspective.
I propose that we might have been looking at things upside
down. We’re not doing social media to promote our message, or sell our books,
or even build a following.
What if social media IS the call… or at least part of the
call. What if this isn’t all about us, but about opening ourselves up, putting
ourselves out there, taking chances and building bridges BECAUSE GOD HAS A
PLAN?
What social media isn’t:
- Mass marketing
- A running commercial
- A chance to toot my own horn
Instead, social media is a chance to connect with
like-minded people WITHOUT the barrier of location.
It’s a chance to share value, spread truth, show love. It’s
God’s way of building bridges, meeting needs, and changing the world…one
glorious update at a time.
And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14b
God is perfect with His Plan, Preparation, and Place
- in His plan for us
- in His preparation of us
- where in time He has placed us
It’s no mistake that we were born in this place and time. We
have a responsibility to learn how to use the tools that surround us.
Beyond that, God’s word is clear that we are called to be a
light in the dark. There’s no place darker than social media. We know that,
we’ve seen that through past few years.
He told us to go out into the world. Folks, that includes the
World Wide Web.
He warned us that the world hated Him and it would hate us
too. Is there any wonder that social media is hard?
The important thing for us to focus on the is the fact that
for the first time ever, we can reach the world without leaving home. No wonder
the enemy wants to convince us it’s too hard, too meaningless, too much work.
He’s scared of what God can do with a few committed believers willing to make a
difference through the tools He’s given us.
TWEETABLES
