Proverbs for Christian Blogging: Wisdom is Better Than Traffic

Mike Leake

    Take my instruction instead of silver,
        and knowledge rather than choice gold,
    for wisdom is better than jewels,
        and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
(Proverbs 8:10-11 ESV)

The “gold” and “silver” for a blogger is web traffic.  Even if you do not sell ads on your blog (which I do not) you write because you want to be heard.  Good writers write because they love the craft.  And there is a very real sense in which writers would write well and enjoy writing even if nobody read what they wrote.  But I think most every writer also wants an audience. 

Blogging On Every “Dust-Up”

Every couple of weeks there is some “dust up” that happens within the Christian quadrant of the internets.  Awhile back there was a “kerfuffle” in the SBC world (that spilled over into the secular society too).  Richard Land made some remarks about the Trayvon Martin case that were deemed as racist.  (Personally, I was against his comments and I have never been a huge fan of the ERLC).  For a couple of weeks, at least within the SBC, this was the big story.  If you wanted traffic you would have put the name “Richard Land” in your title. 

This blog remained silent on the issue.

Why?

Because I do not have enough wisdom in this matter to write well.  I could have drummed something up and I might have been able to make it intriguing, perhaps humorous, and maybe even semi-coherent.  Yet, I know that I would not have been blogging with wisdom.  Therefore, I remained silent and let those that can speak with wisdom to speak—and those that are just speaking fizzle themselves out. 

Blogging on the Big C

Not Cancer.  Calvinism.  You want hits—especially if you are frequent those within the SBC then put Calvinism in your title.  Sometimes, I will blog on Calvinism.  Why?  Honestly, I think I have something to say in this issue.  Others can probably say it better.  Many could say it with more wisdom.  But this is an area—though controversial–that sometimes I believe God can use me to provide perspective. 

Yet, even still I do not always join in the debates.  Especially in comment streams. 

Why?

Unfortunately, in this discussion personal opinion and emotionalism drives the bus far more than Lady Wisdom.  Sometimes it is akin to throwing your pearls before swine.  That may sound strong but I refuse to dance the dance with those that aren’t pursuing wisdom.  It could get me traffic to try to expose the ignorant ramblings of some Calvinist-haters or Arminian-bashers but at the end of the day who really cares?  I want wisdom more than I want traffic. 

Blog traffic is fleeting.  Wisdom endures even longer than precious jewels.  I think I’ll pursue the latter. 

How @JohnPiper Helped Me In the Midst of Darkness

Mike Leake 3 Comments

I wrote awhile back of what it is like when the lights go out in my fragile mind.  I had a pretty intense period of darkness that finally seems to have lifted yesterday (Praise God!).  One of the things that really helped me in the midst of darkness was John Piper’s When the Darkness Will Not Lift.  I wanted to mention two points of counsel that really helped my soul.  They may be surprising. 

Start with Despair

It is really difficult being a pastor that struggles with depression.  I feel a ton of added pressure to kick this depression thing.  You never want your darkness to negatively shape your preaching, counseling, planning, or other duties.  Because I am usually the one doing the counseling it can be very tempting to counsel yourself and try to turn to some sort of self-effort to rescue yourself from this darkness.  That is why I found this counsel particularly helpful:

“Start at the easiest place for those in darkness.  Start with despair.  Despair of finding any answer in yourself.  I pray that you will cease from all efforts to look inside yourself for the rescue you need.  I pray that you will do what only desperate people can do, namely, cast yourself on Christ.  May you say to him, “You are my only hope.  I have no righteousness in myself.  I am overwhelmed with sin and guilt.  I am under the wrath of God.  My own conscience condemns me, and makes me miserable.  I am perishing.  Darkness is all about me.  Have mercy upon me.  I trust you.”  (Piper, 21)

To be honest, those types of paragraphs are not all that soothing at first.  But they become like a cartoon character swallowing a Mexican jumping bean.  It bounces around inside your heart and soul and shakes things up.  Eventually words like this start to calm voices of darkness and heals brokenness, pain, and sin with the beautiful gospel. 

You might think that telling a depressed person to cast themselves on Christ as helpless sinners would be counter-productive but it is not.  And that is why I appreciate the boldness of Piper and his unswerving trust in the powerful gospel.  It is a means that God used to heal my soul. 

Duty Includes the Duty of Joy

The last thing that a person in darkness wants to hear is that they are more guilty and messed up than they think they are.  But it is, oddly enough, in this truth that I found refuge.  After encouraging me to “repent and confess the sin of gloomy faith” Piper says this:

I am aware that this may sound like an added burden to to the one who is in spiritual darkness.  But it is not an added burden.  If it is a burden at all, it is already there and not added by calling it what it is.  Failing to rejoice in God when we are commanded to rejoice is sin.  False comforts lead to artificial healing.  But the truest diagnoses lead to the deepest cures.  (Piper, 49-50)

This in itself may not be all that helpful.  But when you are reminded of this in light of the gospel (which Piper faithfully exposits throughout this little booklet) it helps the message of Christ actually heal brokenness and sin.  If I am parading around like I am only a victim and not also a sinner and I try to apply the gospel only to my “depression” but not also my sin then it’s not going to go deep enough.  If I am guilty, then I really need healing. 

So thank you John Piper for being truthful and preaching the gospel to me.  I am grateful that the Spirit of God used your words to massage my soul and make the lights start to flicker on again.  May the Lord be glorified in both my anguish and joy! 

—

If you battle depression and have seasons of darkness you may want to purchase When the Darkness Will Not Lift. 

Proverbs for Christian Blogging: The Battle for Faithful Blogging is Won Before You Touch the Keyboard

Mike Leake

For the past couple days I have looked at Proverbs 7 from the perspective of which it is written: battling seduction from an adulterous woman.  (See here and here).  The central point that can be gathered from Proverbs 7 is that the battle against the seductive woman is not won on the streets but from the window.   Once that foolish guy was walking towards her house he was as good as dead.  If you want to battle inappropriate sex its a war that is waged long before you get into the heat of the moment. 

I believe that you can extend this principle to faithful blogging and commenting as well.  That is, in part, the reason for this series on Proverbs for Christian Blogging.  I believe that there is a very valid and helpful place for blogging in the life of the church.  I believe that even comments can be edifying and helpful to the body of Christ.  Yet, I also believe that we need to raise the bar on our interaction with one another—both in blog posts and in comments. 

I could probably ramble on for about 500 more words but I will spare you and myself.  If you want to be a faithful blogger then it’s not going to come by accident.  That battle is won long before you sit down at your computer and type out articles, comments, and tweets. 

What I Hope We Remember After President Obama’s Public Support of Same-Sex Marriage

Mike Leake

Yesterday the world was a buzz after President Obama’s public support of same-sex marriage.  This political strategy (his “evolution”) really caught nobody by surprise.  His public support only confirms what we have known for quite some time; our President has a very liberal agenda. 

On the day after I thought it may be good to reflect on a few things that are still the same even after this declaration.  I also hope to offer a few ways in which I hope the church responds to his public support of same sex marriage.  Here are my thoughts on this issue:

  • Our “fight” is bigger than this.  The sanctity of marriage is a hugely important issue and one worth doing battle over.  Yet at the end of the day we must always remember that our fight is much bigger.  God is rooting out of his world all sin and unbelief and replacing it with passionate worshipers.  Homosexuality, Liberalism, American Freedom, etc. is not the fundamental fight, it is the gospel. 
  • God is still sovereign.  The last time I checked the ending of the story it is not pending on whether or not a President or a nation (whose term and life is but a vapor) affirms or denies same-sex marriage.  That is not to increase passivity but to stir up a gospel-rest driven effort. 
  • God is mighty to save.  At T4G Thabiti Anyabwile asked whether or not our gospel was powerful enough to transform a terrorist.  Today, I wonder is your gospel powerful enough to transform a homosexual?  If it is then it cannot be chained or stopped regardless of a law or a presidential vote of support. 
  • People do not define marriage, God does.  I believe that John Piper said something similar to that, once.  This really is not something up for debate.  Call it arrogant, that is fine, but Scripture is pretty clear on what marriage is.  I’m not sure why we would be shocked that the world would have a different view and define it differently. 
  • Fox News isn’t your hub for what is going on in the world.  By this I do not mean that bible prophecy teachers really know what is going on in Israel and the US.  What I mean is that the same thing is going on in our world that was going on in 1st century Palestine.  God created man.  We rebel.  We worship and serve the creature rather than creation.  In Jesus He provides redemption.  That is what is going on in the world.  Let Scripture interpret your world not Fox News and talk radio.  
  • Remember why we do battle.  A good part of our battle is because we do not want people to legalize holding bombs with the pin on the floor.  This isn’t a battle to see who wins. 
  • If we “lose” this battle lets respond as believers should.  It seems to me that what Barnabas Piper said here, also applies in this situation. 
  • The believers citizenship is elsewhere and it is secure.  I pray that we live and respond as if we really believe that this is true.

I fear that some people will read this and miss what I am saying.  I am not saying that the sanctity of marriage is not a big issue.  It is important.  It is a truth worth fighting for.  I am in agreement with Kevin DeYoung in his article here.   I also agree with Joe Carter and others that call the President’s speech blasphemy.  I believe also that it is a finely timed political strategy and nothing close to an evolution and that it is dishonest and outright wrong for the President to pretend like he has finally accepted this position.  It’s wrong for him to drag Jesus through the muck of his idolatry as well.  I’m certainly not for this decision. 

My hope, though, is that we fight with the right weapons and wield them the correct way.  I preach, teach, write, and labor to see people become enthralled with Jesus not America.  I want people fit for the true King’s kingdom and not captivated by the kingdom of the ruler of a borrowed reign.