5 Reasons to Write It Down
Whether it is a journal, a blog, or a list, we write things down for lots of different reasons. For me, blogging can be both simple and complicated. Simple because I am just writing my story–life lessons or truths that I am learning from God’s Word or experiences that I think could encourage someone else. It’s also complicated because the journey is complicated. And it’s my journey. No one else is on the very same path that I am on, so it is important that I not assume that my words will be understood in the way that I intend. Putting words on a page only reflect a part of who I am, and it is much more important to me that I am illuminating who God is and what His Word says . It is a huge responsibility that I don’t take lightly.
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
The process of writing down the thoughts in my head can be therapeutic but also risky. Being honest with yourself in front of others carries a certain vulnerability. Realizing that months or years down the road could change your perspective. Knowing that there will always be some who don’t understand or who are critical, you step into the world of social media with trepidation.
For some, the idea of going public is out of the question, but for those of us who choose to open our minds to an audience, the biggest question looms over us when the numbers tell us that there are few that are reading what we write:
“Would I continue to write if no one else was reading what I wrote?”
If you’re like me, you write because you need to. You have the words dominating your brain until you let them out and write them down. The unfolding is a process: you are learning and growing, and it seems to expand inside of you until you have to let it out. Like a balloon, it grows and stretches you so thin that your brain feels like it’s running out of room…
If, however, you are writing for others merely to be entertained or to make your voice heard, then perhaps you won’t continue. If numbers give you worth, or frustration comes when no one comments, then there’s a chance this will be a temporary pursuit. The question might be more accurately posed, “What is your motive for writing?”
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Here are five good reasons to “Write It Down”:
1.) You remember something better when you write it down. I am a visual learner, and have always struggled with memorization. I have to learn it to retain it, so writing it down is a tangible way to help me learn and retain what i have learned. When I memorize Bible verses, I write it down many times and put it in front of me until I feel like I will remember it well.
2.) You want your life experience to benefit others. I have learned so much from the past. I am challenged, moved and inspired by the stories of others. We don’t have to learn all of our lessons from experience–we can choose to learn from other’s victories as well as their defeats. Doesn’t it make sense that there might be someone else that could benefit from your story?
3) Writing releases your creativity. My thoughts are often jumbled and can easily get twisted around from one thought to the next, so it’s not uncommon for me to have something in my mind that I want to work on or research or create and it can completely disappear if I get distracted for one reason or another. Writing it down protects it for a later time when I can process and expound on my thoughts.
4.) You don’t want to forget! I know, it sounds a whole lot like #1 and #3, but what I’m saying here is very different than memorization or just retaining information. So much of what we think we will remember, we store away in the recesses of our minds and it becomes a distant memory that is clouded by the reality of the moment. While we might remember details, we often forget the emotions or the circumstances surrounding it. A good example of this would be the journals I wrote while traveling to other countries. The things I wrote were more than details, they were experiences that were filled with sights and sounds that stirred my senses and my emotions.
5.) Obedience. Last but not least, I am fully aware that often the spiritual lessons that I am learning compel me to action. I don’t want to keep the these important lessons to myself because I am convinced that as believers we are all called to share the life-changing truths that God reveals through His Word. Blogging can serve a purpose, and for me, it is an opportunity to share life and faith and hope with those I might never meet in person.
“Imprint these words of mine on your hearts and minds, bind them as a sign on your hands, and let them be a symbol on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates, so that as long as the heavens are above the earth, your days and those of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors. ” Deuteronomy 11:18-21
If you are reading my blog for the first time, then you might be sensing that I am a born-again Christian. I write because I want to encourage others to see the humanness in a journey of faith. I want to be a life-long learner, and the foundation that I stand on is the Word of God, the Bible. These are life-giving words that God wrote down for mankind. His Words changed my life and they can change yours.
You can read more about how to know God here: FAITH
