Blog... to recommend

In honor of my one year blogoversary, I have decided to do a small series on why I blog, based on an excellent article by Abraham Piper. Even though the article was written to persuade pastors to blog, I have found the reasons and principles to be true for any Christian blogger.

Another great reason to blog is to recommend: 

I personally love this aspect of blogging, mainly because I enjoy recommending books, disciplines, blogs and Jesus Christ. It is always fun to recommend something to only one person, but by blogging you can suggest something to hundreds of people. Which is another reminder to be careful what you advertise and what tone you suggest with. Abraham Piper writes:

Blogs are not generally good places to be didactic. Rather, they’re ideal for suggesting and commending. I’ve learned, after I write, to go back and cut those lines that sound like commands or even overbearing suggestions, no matter how right they may be. Because if it’s true for my audience, it’s true for me, so why not word it in such a way that I’m the weak one, rather than them?

Yes, a very good reminder. Grace is needed even in blogging. I have found that the more transparent the writer is about a struggle while offering a helpful recommendation, the more liable I am to accept their suggestions. For example, if someone admits their battle with depression and endorses a certain discipline or resource to aid, the victims of similar struggles will likely try or buy the recommendation. The joys of recommending hang heavily on the integrity and honesty of the recommender. 

Recommendation, however, is more than pointing people to helpful things. It’s a tone of voice, an overall aura that good blogs cultivate.

Let us cultivate the character of honesty and humility in our blogging and beyond.