As I look at the swirl of tragic news filling every means of reporting, I am reminded of the warfare in it all. I can be tempted to agree with those who lay blame to all the technological advances that pour all of this news out without sifting much of it for truth or a need to be shared. I can also be tempted to see the ways it can be used for so many negative and harmful things.
I look at the Internet and how it is used to dull our minds with its endless rabbit trails as well as how it can seduce us and take us away from our values and beliefs. I see how it can trap anyone into relationships and entities that are dangerous, unsafe, and evil. I see as well how it can be used to allow those who are intent on evil to communicate and achieve their ends of death and destruction on innocent people who are just going along doing life.
All of it seems to heighten my awareness of the power we give over to this invention and the enemy’s blatant use of it.
Over and over I hear the cry to unplug from all the devices we have that pull us toward these things. It’s true there are important boundaries that must be set for our children and us as well. But recently as I was reading several posts from other bloggers that offered encouragement, calls to prayer, exhortations to community and the Word, I felt as though the Lord gave me another view that many of us are missing.
The Lord has prompted so many to create websites and write or blog with messages of hope, testimonies of grace, calls toward enhancing our spiritual lives, and deepen our walk with Him. We do it as we feel led or have time.
We step out into thin air and share reflections and truths the Lord has worked into our own hearts and lives. When we are real, we confess to our venerable feelings about the risks we take to share and put our lives and hearts “out there” to the possibility of being misunderstood and judged. We acknowledge how inadequate we can often feel as well as the fear that can creep in when we take such risks.
Will anyone read it? What will those who know me think? What about people who have no idea of who I am, read it, and reach conclusions far from the truth? (Am I reading some of your minds?)
If that resonates with you, what I want you to hear and see that connects with the photo is that the Lord also has given me a glimpse of how He is using us to provide a network of little lights encircling the world.
Who but God could create a stealth network of His children using the very tools that the enemy believes are his domain to spread light, truth, and hope to the world weighed down with so much?
We are His witnesses.
We write from far-reaching places. We sit with computers in large cities and small, in apartments and homes, in different states, on different continents. We sit in the midst of our own lives in whatever season we are in and the Lord births in us those words that show up on our screen. We can doubt their worth and much of it can be simply our own reflecting, but I think He is still the author and we are His testimony.
We have no real certainty how our readers find us despite a foggy idea perhaps about search engines and various classes and courses on blogging and marketing. We sometimes can be tempted to forget it all, but there is a call in us, a passion in us that keeps whispering and nudging us even on days we may feel we have nothing to say or nothing that others would find worth reading.
I think when the Lord gave me this picture of us, He wanted me to debunk all those lies and remind you and myself that He is in this. As we offer ourselves to Him in what we share, we lay it in His hands for his use.
We may never know how, where, or with whom He uses it, but after all is said and done it was always about Him anyway and the call and gifts He placed in us that we acted on despite those who may have caused us to doubt we could or should.
God has a habit of using unknown people in ways that astounds those whose fame is well known.
God has agents of His own spreading the truth of His gospel as “light bearers”.
And so, I can be content and humbled that we are a stealth army, a force for His kingdom and His purposes using the very devises the enemy believes he owns.
I love this! The idea of being a light-bearer is the reason I blog – I call it encouraging others along the Journey.
Thanks for sharing at The Loft today – may we all be ones to ” provide a network of little lights encircling the world.”
Thanks for your visit and encouraging affirmation. Blessings on your day!
I was given a link to your blog by a collaborator in a new ministry and would like to speak with you about joining us and other Christian bloggers as we expand and extend the reach of the Gospel message. Please feel free to contact me and I’d be happy to share in more detail (202) 559-4656
“We may never know how, where, or with whom He uses it, but after all is said and done it was always about Him anyway and the call and gifts He placed in us that we acted on despite those who may have caused us to doubt we could or should.” YES! I love this!! When I’m sitting down to write, I often think about Jesus’ first disciples. They had no idea the words they wrote down would impact as many people as they have impacted. But they were faithful with the calling God had placed on their hearts and they wrote anyways. What great encouragement you have shared in this post! Happy to be your neighbor on the #RaRaLinkup!
Thanks, Lauren, for this gracious response to what I wrote. Your encouragement means a great deal!
I’m reminded of the scripture, “what Satan meant for destruction, God uses for good!” Internet is no exception. Great post. Neighbor #69 at Holly’s!
Thanks so much, Susan! I appreciate your sharing!
Yes! Light always wins! Visiting from #TellHisStory!
Yes! Light always wins over darkness. Visiting from #TellHisStory!
Tears in my eyes! Your super-encouraging post today, Pam, says what my heart has said for nearly two years now, when He called me to be a blogger for His glory. In His wisdom, the post He led me to share today at The Loft is a companion piece to yours. It is about asking Him to “enlarge our territory”. Praise His name!
Thanks, Gena! I trust it was indeed encouraging. I sensed the Lord really wanted to encourage us all. I have not been out to see what you wrote yet, but am eager to read it and will get back to you after I do. Blessings to you!
Pam, this is incredibly powerful and chock full of truth. Our call is to obedience…obedience to write the words God gives us. That’s it. The results are up to God. He knows the end from the beginning and works it all out for His glory and our good. Oh, to be able to remember that and to remember that we do not have to have the big picture as we write. Thank you so, so much for linking this timely and truth-packed post at The Loft.
Thanks, Leah! I very much sensed this post was something from the Lord for all of us who are doing this!
Beautiful! I love how you said: “Who but God could create a stealth network of His children using the very tools that the enemy believes are his domain to spread light, truth, and hope to the world weighed down with so much?” It’s so true how we can get sucked into the world of the internet and media in a negative way. But God has built a network of followers who are using it to bring light to the world. It’s a way to shine light in the dark corners of the world.
Thanks for your gracious words and stopping to share them with me!
Stopped in my tracks by your words. Who but Pam would think of calling us all a “stealth network” for God? I do love that!
Amazing to think about the weight of truth, the importance of holding on to the light in this dark time.
So so good.
Ah, thanks, Michele! How kind are your words! Not sure if I would be the only one to think of that term, but it seemed to fit well.