This Blogging thing is new to me but it's not really new. Frankly, blogging is simply journaling, online. At least that's the way I look at it. I've been journaling for a long time now and, actually, it can be therapeutic. The difference is, with blogging, you're putting your thoughts out there for the world to see. That can be very risky, yet hundreds of thousands of people do it every day. But why?
How are we to understand this desire people have to reveal their innermost thoughts? Perhaps it's because we want to be known, yet accepted. Acceptance is a big deal. It's such a big deal, in fact, that people pretend to be something they are not just so they'll be accepted. Let's park on this idea for a minute.
Nobody knows us better than we know ourselves. The scary thing is, even though we know ourselves we still sometimes become confused about who we are—why we make some of the decisions we make; why we say some of the things we say. Learning how to get a handle on who we are is a daily challenge. God knew it would be a challenge and warned us in his word. Think about it. This is why we're told we need to control our tongue; we're told to crucify the flesh; we're told to put to death the old man and put on the new man, daily. Why? I think it's because it is in our nature to not be totally honest with ourselves. We like to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. More than this, we want others to think more highly of us than perhaps they ought to. Even the most humble person, known for being a real sweet person, if they are honest with themselves, would have to admit that it feels real good to hear others say how sweet and humble they are. Everybody likes a little praise. We have to attribute this to our sinful nature. None of us are immune to it.
Anyway, as I started to say at the beginning of this train of thought, I am struck by the idea that we want to be known, yet accepted. This is to say, we long to have someone who will accept us, in spite of knowing us (our personality flaws, our struggles, our imperfections, our short comings, our hidden sins) and love us anyway. Think about it. Isn't this one of the true acts of love, for someone to know us but accept and love us anyway? We experience this on a micro scale through loving relationships with our best friends, our spouse, our parents, our children. Admit it. It feels good to be accepted. The direct opposite of this is rejection. And I'm sure you'd agree that rejection doesn't feel so good. In fact, rejection has driven a number of people away from other human beings, home, and family. They retreat into seclusion, depression or even self destruction and this is a bad thing.
So the bottom line is, we all desire acceptance. Even the folks who say they can care less about it, if they confront themselves honestly, will have to admit that being accepted is, at the very least, a real good feeling.
This brings me to the crux of the matter. No one knows us better than God. And, in spite of knowing us, he accepts us. More than this, in spite of knowing our messed up, mixed up ways, he loves us. The desire to be known, I think, is innate and longs to be satisfied. Ultimately, God is the only one who can satisfy this longing. The climax of being known (to the extent the longing to be known will be completely satisfied) will occur when we are one with him, in heaven.
Perhaps this idea of being known can be, in some measure, related to 1 Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." Won't it be wonderful when your honest, raw, innermost secrets are revealed and laid bare and yet still be accepted? I mean, I know that God knows all that stuff about us now and that down here we still wrestle with the guilt of it. However, in heaven, it won't even cross our minds.
In the meantime, I guess people, in their effort to be known, will continue to put their thoughts out there on a blog. How much will they reveal? I guess it depends upon what kind of blogging they do. I'm still fleshing out exactly what type of blog I want to do. I think I've decided I want to put my honest, raw thoughts out there. The reason for this is because I believe that there are other Jesus Followers who can identify with the honest and raw. There are too many believers who hide behind masks and make themselves look a whole lot better than they really are. As a healthy alternative, it can be refreshing to experience the honest, transparent and raw.
I just thought of something. Sometimes one way we can come to know ourselves better, is through someone else revealing themselves. It certainly is true: just like iron sharpens iron, one human being interacting with (or coming to know) another human being results in a sharpening of one another. As believers in Jesus and members of the family of God, that sharpening is for the better.
At least this is how the whole thing is being processed in the heart and mind of Victor.
