Writer ... Who's Following You?
By Andrea Merrell
You have a new follower on Twitter.
Those of us who Tweet love to see those words as we network and build our platform.
It’s the same when someone LIKES us on Facebook, recommends us on Linkedin, or promotes us on a blog. It makes us feel validated and that we have something of value to share with others.
Recently, someone asked, “What will you leave behind?” The question caused me to stop and evaluate what my legacy would be at the end of my life—what I would leave behind that would continue to be valuable and memorable for others. It also made me realize how easy it is to be more concerned about what our social media audience thinks about us than our own family—those around us who know us best and love us most.
Proverbs 13:22 says. A good man (or woman) leaves an inheritance for his children’s children. But in this day of superior technology and social media, it is no long our family and close circle of friends that we touch. Every day our life touches the life of someone else. Our influence reaches far beyond what we can possibly imagine, especially as writers.
The apostle Paul was a good example. He had no money, land, or material possessions to leave those who followed him, yet the gifts he left behind are numerous: integrity, character, loyalty, passion, his writings, and those he mentored, instructed, and won to Christ. These are all marks of a great man who will be remembered for eternity.
If we only write to see our name on the cover of a book, that might be where the influence stops. But if we write in order to build relationships over platforms and touch the hearts of people, giving them hope and encouragement, our legacy—our influence—will live on and on.
When our words point someone to Christ, we are fulfilling our purpose. We can lead people in the right direction by everything we say and do, and especially by the words we write.
So my question today is, “Who’s following you?”
(Photos courtesy of Microsoft Clipart.)
TWEETABLES
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