The greatest danger bloggers face.

I have a hard time paying attention at church.

Why?

Because for more than four years, I’ve written a blog about church.

In order to keep up with the self-imposed content demands of my blog, I had to become a content machine. I had to train myself to see church and worship and Sunday not for what they are, but for what they could be.

I had to develop “blog goggles.”

Eventually, it got to the point where it was hard for me to sing. I wasn’t really singing, but I was thinking about the different ways people hold their hands when they sing. I was thinking about the face the bass player made, would I title that blog post “bass face?” I was wondering if there’s a way to write about worship leaders who read lyrics from their iPad.

I started writing a blog about my life instead of living my life.

And I fear I am not the only one.

I’ve talked to a lot of mom bloggers who have told me the same thing is happening with their subject matter – their kids.

As someone who writes about his kids, sometimes I get this temptation. I confessed once that my six-year-old daughter McRae wouldn’t let me take a photo of her. I asked why not, and she said, “I don’t want you to tweet it.”

That was her telling me, “Let me be your kid, not your content.”

It’s easy to walk down this path, too. You only have to have one person comment on a blog post about something funny your kid said to think, “I should post other funny things my kids say.” And before you know it, you’ve started to take steps down the content path.

You might be better at handling the pressures of blogging. Although I’ve gotten a lot better at unplugging from my blog at church, I am most definitely a work in progress. I am not done with this struggle and will continue to search for healthy ways to write about church, my family and a million other things.

But, regardless of where you are with your blog, be careful.

Live your life first. Write your blog later.

Question:
Do you blog?