As we launch Westside’s blog let me share some reasons why I resist, at best, blogs, bloggers, blogging and why I’m starting a blog nonetheless.

The First Reason:

1. NOT ALL OPINIONS NEED TO BE SHARED.
Ever met the “I just have to get this off my chest” guy or “I just needed to share this” gal? Any time a conversation starts that way I want to jump in and ask, “do you really? Do you really just have to share this? What would happen if you just didn’t?”

Believe it or not, it’s entirely OK to have secrets. It’s OK to have stuff you keep between you and God that no one else is allowed access to.

Hear me: I am not talking about hiding sin, nor OK’ing inauthenticity; I am talking about not sharing everything that comes to mind. Some things are OK kept in secret where “our Father who sees in secret” is the only one who sees.

Tied Into This:
2. NOT ALL OPINIONS SHOULD BE SHARED.
Let’s be honest, there are a lot of foolish (that’s being nice), thoughts and ideas out there. I realize that sounds callous, but I know that first hand because I’ve had way too many to count.

Paul talks about needing to have a proper assessment of ourselves – see Romans 12:3. Here’s a thought, just because we have an opinion doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a good one. Not preaching, just sayin’.

As someone said, “keep quiet and have others wonder if you’re a fool, open your mouth and remove all doubt.”

Paul instructs in II Corinthians 10:5 to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” I would think that some of those thoughts to be taken captive of include some of our own.

Building On This:
3. SOME OPINIONS SHARED ARE SIMPLY A MASK FOR GOSSIP AND DESTRUCTION.
Just because it’s on a blog and has a verse attached doesn’t necessarily make what’s written anything other than “idle chatter” and “busybodiness.”

We are to put off malice, slander and obscene talk and just because we post it and share it via the web doesn’t remove the call to do so.

Some of the things that I have read online from professing Christians about other followers of Christ, or their ministries, has made my skin crawl.

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" (or read, perhaps) Ephesians 4:29.

4. SOME OPINIONS SHARED ONLY SERVE TO FEED OUR NARCISSISM.
I have no doubt that one of the reasons Facebook and Twitter work is because we have an overestimated value regarding our importance in the grand scheme of things.

Are we highly valued by God? Yes, big time. Are we highly important? Hate to break it to you – not so much.

The most prominent idol we bow down to in western culture is us. We’re to destroy our idols and yet, I wonder, if certain mediums don’t feed them instead (That question may be a good blog post topic for a later date).

5. IT’S FAR EASIER TO OPINE THAN IT IS TO DO.
It’s the path of least resistance. Sounding intelligent but never arriving at truth. Travelling without a destination in mind.

Do you know what a beard, a blog, and dark rimmed glasses makes you? A dude with a beard, a blog, and dark rimmed glasses, who asks 60 times a day, “do you need room for cream?”So, if I resist blogs, bloggers, and blogging why then, for heaven’s sake, am I starting a blog?

Two reasons why:
1. SOME OPINIONS NEED TO BE SHARED.
Even though some opinions that should and need not be shared there are some that do. People matter and thus people’s thoughts and ideas matter too. My hope with this blog is that it would be used for mutual edification and encouragement.

2. BECAUSE MEDIUMS CHANGE.
We don’t tie horses up outside the saloon anymore nor do we wind our cars up before chitty-chitty bang banging down to the Piggly Wiggly. Radio ministries have been replaced by iTunes and downloads, video rental outlets shut down by Netflix, bookstores by Kindle, and newspapers by blogs, iPads and apps. We don’t fill our cars up anymore, now we plug them in.

We’re about to roll out a program at Westside where instead of sending a bunch of books over to Africa to be used in a Bible training program we’ll send a bunch of Kindles instead. And from the comfort of our office in Vancouver, via the 3G network, we will send them books that will get downloaded onto their Kindles. Saves time, money, transport and allows us to constantly update their library.

My point – things change and morph.

Blogs are the newsletters of yesteryear we’re just now saving the stamp.

So my hope and prayer is that this blog helps and encourages, without taking itself too seriously.